The FY 2023 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program assists high-threat, high-density urban areas in efforts to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. The UASI program is intended to provide financial assistance to address the unique multi-discipline planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas and to assist these areas in building and sustaining capabilities to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism using a "Whole Community" approach.
Activities implemented with UASI funds must support terrorism preparedness by building or enhancing capabilities that relate to the prevention of, protection from, mitigation of, response to or recovery from terrorism in order to be considered eligible. However, many capabilities which support terrorism preparedness simultaneously support preparedness for other hazards. Grantees must demonstrate the dual-use quality for any activities implemented that are not explicitly focused on terrorism preparedness. Urban areas must use UASI funds to employ regional approaches to overall preparedness and are encouraged to adopt regional response structures whenever appropriate. UASI program implementation and governance must include regional partners and should have balanced representation among entities with operational responsibilities for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery activities within the region.
In order to meet the grant application deadline, the Fire District submitted this grant application on October 7, 2021, prior to receiving Board approval. The grant funds will be used to purchase an acoustic listening device which is a required piece of equipment on a Type I Heavy Rescue. This acquisition will upgrade our capability from a Type II to a Type I Rescue.
This device is used to find live victims in a collapsed structure or entrapment. This tool will be used in combination with the District's Live Find K-9, Bonus. A live find K-9 can search a large area and quickly alert on areas where they find a scent. The acoustic listening device will then be used with our search cameras to verify the dog's alert. After the multiple verifications, the rescue crews can develop a plan to extricate the person from the rubble. These tools and techniques were used last year in the Surfside Condominium Collapse in Florida to find and rescue numerous people.
If unapproved, the Fire District would not be able to accept this grant.