Gov. Blagojevich announces grants to support local emergency planning efforts

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced 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 (IEMA).

"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 (ESDA) or Emergency Management Agency (EMA) must be accredited by IEMA.  To receive accreditation, the local ESDA or EMA 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, IEMA director.  "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 IEMA 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
De Kalb County 27,342.28
De Witt County 11,651.97
Douglas County  12,331.15
Du Page 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
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
La Salle 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
Mc Donough County 15,155.45
Mc Henry County 64,542.01
Mc Lean 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
Mt. 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