Grants totaling nearly $3 million awarded to cities, counties to support local emergency planning efforts

[JUNE 29, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced on Monday that 112 cities and counties throughout Illinois have received grants totaling nearly $3 million to help local emergency management organizations prepare for emergencies and increase public awareness of disaster preparedness. The grants are awarded annually and are administered by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

"Emergency operations plans drive our response to any emergency, whether it's a natural disaster like a tornado or flood, or even a terrorist attack," Blagojevich said. "The better prepared local emergency management agencies are, the better their response to a disaster will be."

The grants can be used for up to 50 percent of the grantees' necessary and essential emergency preparedness personnel and administrative expenses. This can include costs for staff, mitigation planning and emergency management public awareness efforts.

In order to receive Emergency Management Assistance grant funds, a local government emergency services and disaster agency or emergency management agency must be accredited by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. To receive accreditation, the local agency must meet requirements for emergency planning, training and exercising of emergency operations plans. Currently, 91 counties and 21 municipalities are accredited, and all received Emergency Management Assistance grants this year.

"Most emergencies are local, so it's imperative that communities have a well-prepared emergency management organization," said William C. Burke, director of the state agency. "Even for the larger events, such as a destructive tornado or a major flood, the state depends on local emergency management officials to be our partner in the response. The Emergency Management Assistance grants help these communities have the resources they need to be ready for disasters and work to mitigate the effects of future disasters."

A federal Emergency Management Performance Grant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency supports the grants.

Counties and municipalities receiving the grants include:

ESDA/EMA	Grant total
Adams County	22,843.76
Alexander County	5,945.50
Aurora	39,086.73
Bloomington	22,089.59
Bond County	2,213.00
Boone County	17,084.48
Brown County	4,195.60
Bureau County	15,718.52
Calhoun County	2,825.50
Carbondale	12,496.15
Carroll County	11,625.01
Cass County	10,977.37
Centralia	3,185.93
Champaign	22,678.73
Champaign County	32,382.17
Chicago	637,608.11
Christian County	5,371.69
Clark County	10,787.48
Clay County	5,625.00
Clinton County	7,632.50
Coles County	13,230.00
Cook County	206,941.40
Crawford County	4,370.00
Cumberland County	5,140.30
DeKalb County	27,342.28
DeWitt County	11,651.97
Douglas County	12,331.15
DuPage County	160,838.25
DuQuoin	9,401.85
East St. Louis	14,857.39
Edgar County	11,092.70
Effingham County	15,449.17
Elmhurst	13,876.50
Evanston	24,139.92

ESDA/EMA	Grant total
Fairview Heights	3,115.50
Fayette County	11,794.31
Flora	6,532.50
Ford County	5,097.50
Franklin County	16,482.72
Fulton County	12,720.00
Gallatin County	9,401.16
Granite City	12,116.50
Greene County	5,273.00
Grundy County	16,160.30
Hancock County	6,735.50
Hardin County	4,938.00
Henderson County	5,479.52
Henry County	7,319.28
Iroquois County	12,102.00
Jackson County	16,463.79
Jasper County	6,919.29
Jersey County	8,908.00
Jo Daviess County	12,845.73
Johnson County	10,799.75
Joliet	31,092.97
Kane County	74,041.54
Kankakee County	30,573.80
Kendall County	19,674.00
Knox County	5,950.00
LaSalle County	32,242.61
Lake County	148,086.16
Lawrence County	4,550.00
Logan County	14,779.33
Macon County	32,937.64
Macoupin County	18,656.96
Madison County	57,490.06
Marion County	8,054.00
Marshall County	10,865.40
Mason County	11,486.73
Massac County	11,296.07
McDonough County	15,155.45
McHenry County	64,542.01
McLean County	26,615.29
Menard County	2,819.00
Mercer County	10,047.61
Monroe County	14,004.51
Montgomery County	14,663.91
Morgan County	15,960.49
Moultrie County	11,106.07
Mount Vernon	11,536.97
Naperville	35,905.65
Ogle County	19,094.61
Palatine	22,235.46
Peoria	32,552.83
Peoria County	23,326.41
Piatt County	11,557.83
Pike County	11,779.37
Pope County	8,959.42
Pulaski County	5,922.70
Randolph County	15,368.51
Richland County	5,315.65
Rock Island County	30,457.20
Rockford	37,689.65
Salem	9,719.46
Saline County	13,811.89
Sangamon County	49,078.88
Schuyler County	4,073.14
Scott County	5,789.98
St. Clair County	53,547.63
Stephenson County	18,648.27
Tazewell County	20,014.10
Tinley Park	18,522.60
Union County	3,840.00
Vermilion County	26,244.41
Wabash County	10,812.57
Washington County	11,292.38
Wayne County	7,138.00
White County	11,341.73
Whiteside County	21,186.27
Will County	84,785.02
Williamson County	21,326.05
Winnebago County	35,893.71
Totals	$2,999,700.01

[News release from the governor's office]