NCJ Number
210421
Date Published
2005
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This report describes ways in which the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) helps State and local governments to access, operate, and maintain equipment needed to prepare for and respond to threats or acts of terrorism that involve weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Abstract
ODP does this through stationed caches of equipment nationwide, direct funding to purchase equipment, and training on equipment operation and maintenance. ODP's equipment grant award program currently provides funds to all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. Territories. These awards are intended for the purchase of specialized equipment necessary to respond to WMD incidents. The types of equipment that can be purchased under the program pertain to detection, decontamination, personal protection, interoperable communications, explosive device mitigation and remediation, WMD technical rescue, general support, medical supplies, and security enhancements and target hardening. In partnership with other Federal agencies, ODP gives State and local grantees access to Federal purchasing programs, which facilitates shorter procurement times, decreased costs, and electronic ordering. ODP has also made available to State and local jurisdictions mobile technical assistance teams that provide technical information and training on the calibration, operation, and maintenance of WMD response equipment. Other equipment-related services offered by ODP are the establishment of performance standards for and enhanced interoperability of WMD response equipment, the positioning of WMD equipment sets in strategic locations to provide a 12-hour response capability nationwide, and the transfer from the U.S. Department of Energy of surplus radiation-detection instrumentation and other equipment to States and localities at no cost.