Money woesVentura County, CA loses $2.8 million in funding

In the latest Homeland Security budget, Ventura County, California is expected to lose about 70 percent, about $2.8 million, of its federal grant money, a large setback for the county’s emergency responders.

In the wake of 9/11, federal grants have poured into the county to help local first responders purchase a wide variety of equipment and training that helped combat terrorism as well prepare the county for disaster response. But with the loss of federal money, county officials believepolice and fire departments will be less prepared to respond in an emergency.

Susan Dueñas, Ventura County’s program administrator for the Office of Emergency Services, said, “The homeland security funding changed the emergency management field — it just altered it completely — because we finally had money.”

She added, “If the funding isn’t replaced in some way, over time our capacities will dip down.”

Prior to 9/11, the county had little money available for emergency preparedness, but following 9/11 the county has received more than $22 million to bolster response capabilities.

These grants have helped pay for a variety of things likeCommunity Emergency Response Team training courses, training and equipment for search and rescue teams, emergency medical supply trailers, and breathing apparatuses for firemen.

“We’ve tried to make sure that most of our money is used in a way that will help the community for any disaster, not just a terrorist attack, which may or may not ever happen,” Dueñas said.

Officials like Ventura County Sheriff Captain Paul Higgason are most concerned about the loss of training opportunities.

“The biggest thing I’m concerned with losing is training,” Higgason said.

The Sheriff’s Department has received several grants that have helped purchase two remote controlled robots for the bomb squad, bullet-resistant windows at local sheriff’s stations, as well as training for officers in the event of an “active bomber” situation.

In the next fiscal year, Ventura County will receive a little over $1 million in DHS grants, a sharp decline compared to previous years where it received approximately $4 million.

$2 million, the bulk of the county’s cuts, come from broader reductions to DHS’S Urban Area Security Initiative program.

In an effort to slash spending and cut the deficit, federal lawmakers trimmed $780 million from the federal budget including nearly $170 million from the government’s anti-terrorism grant funding.

More than thirty small to mid-sized cities will be affected by the cuts, but major cities like New York will continue to receive funding.