Summary:
Objectives
IPR provides funds to Amtrak to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system. The FY 2011 IPR is authorized by Section 1513 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53) (hereafter ?9/11 Act?) and the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Public Law 112-10).
Deadlines
Completed applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2011.
Eligibility
The National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) is the only entity eligible to apply for funding under FY 2011 IPR. DHS will partner with Amtrak to develop security enhancements for eligible intercity passenger rail operations in all eligible Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) areas Amtrak passes through or services. Amtrak is encouraged to fully integrate and coordinate with regional transit entities in the conduct of developing security enhancements.
Type of Assistance: Grant
Description
Total Funding Available in FY 2011: $19,960,000DHS Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS FEMA)
500 C St SW
Washington, District Of Columbia 20472
UNITED STATES
Phone: 1 (202) 646-2500
Email: FEMA-Correspondence-Unit@dhs.gov
Website: http://www.fema.gov
Funding provided will suppport:
Protection of high risk/high consequence underwater and underground rail assets. Many of the Nation’s largest transit systems have significant track miles and support large concentrations of riders in rail systems that run underground and underwater. It is the highest priority of the FY 2011 IPR to support measures thatprotect underground rail system assets ? particularly underwater assets ? from terrorist attacks by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or other threats that can damage or significantly breach such assets. Active coordination and regular testing of emergency evacuation plans can greatly reduce loss of life in serious incidents.
Planning. Planning for how to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism is a core component in an agency’s security framework. Vulnerability assessments, security plans, continuity of operations plans and risk mitigation plans all work to help identify focus areas that must be addressed to remediate risk, including action plans for how those identified risks will be addressed.
Targeted counter-terrorism training for key front line staff. Effective employee training programs address individual employee responsibilities and provide basic security awareness to front line employees, including equipment familiarization, assessing and reporting incident severity, suspicious activity reporting, appropriate responses to protect self and passengers, use of protective devices, crew communication and coordination, and incident evacuation procedures.
Use of visible, unpredictable deterrence. Visible and unpredictable security activities instill confidence and enhance security awareness in the riding public, and help prevent attacks by disrupting the ability of terrorists to prepare for and execute attacks. Examples include the mobile screening of passengers and luggage; the acquisition, training, and certification of explosives detection canine teams; training of law enforcement, security officials and front-line employees in behavioral pattern recognition; and procurement of mobile detection or screening equipment to identify the presence of explosives, residue, and other suspicious items on persons or in packages.
Emergency preparedness drills and exercises. In order to assess and enhance a system’s capability to respond under a variety of serious incidents, transit agencies are encouraged to maintain an emergency drill and exercise program to test key operational protocols, including coordination with first responders. The IPR can support exercises related to terrorist attack scenarios (such as IEDs or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive [CBRNE] weapons attacks), natural disasters, and other emergencies. Such programs can take various forms, from table-top exercises to more comprehensive multi-agency full-scale exercises. IPR funds also support rigorous after-action assessments to identify further system improvements.
Public awareness and preparedness campaigns. A public awareness and preparedness program can employ announcements and postings in stations, transit vehicles, or other media to ensure awareness of heightened alert or threat conditions. Effective awareness programs including the ?See Something, Say Something? campaign, enlist the public and explain specific actions the public can take to contribute to strengthening system security
Protection of other high risk, high consequence areas or systems that have been identified through system wide risk assessments. It is imperative that transit agencies focus countermeasure resources on their highest risk, highest consequence areas or systems. The IPR will particularly support the development and enhancement of capabilities to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks employing CBRNE weapons, particularly IEDs. For example, a system wide assessment may highlight the need to segregate critical security infrastructure from public access. One solution is an integrated intrusion detection system, which controls access to these critical facilities or equipment. Transit systems should consider security technologies to reduce the burden on security manpower. Using smart closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in remote locations could free up security patrols to focus on more high risk areas.
Other. Security projects in line with, or addressing one or more of the 23 areas outlined in Sec. 1513 of the 9/11 Act will be considered.
Additional Information
The IPR Program creates a sustainable, risk-based effort to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism, major disasters, and other emergencies within the Amtrak rail system.
