The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) is a core assistance program that provides funds to build capabilities at the State, local, tribal, and territorial levels, to enhance our national resilience to absorb disruptions and rapidly recover from incidents both natural and manmade as well as to implement the goals and objectives included in State homeland security strategies and initiatives in their State Preparedness Report (SPR).
Activities implemented under SHSP must support terrorism preparedness by building or enhancing capabilities that relate to the prevention of, protection from, mitigation of, response to, and 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 this dual-use quality for any activities implemented under this program that are not explicitly focused on terrorism preparedness.
In developing applications for SHSP, recipients are encouraged to consider 2024 priority areas:
- Enhancing the protection of soft targets/crowded places
- Enhancing information and intelligence sharing and analysis
- Combating domestic violent extremism
- Enhancing cybersecurity
- Enhancing community preparedness and resilience
- Enhancing election security
In Kentucky, the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security is responsible for coordinating homeland security initiatives and various federal grants. Funds through SHSP are used to aid in the training of emergency first responders, the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for combating and preventing terrorist acts and for planning, and exercise. Funds are also used for management, administration and the development of citizen corps projects at the local level.
Examples of projects and equipment approved for funding by the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Combating Domestic Violent Extremism
- Open source analysis of misinformation campaigns, targeted violence and threats to life, including tips/leads, and online/social media-based threats
- Sharing and leveraging intelligence and information, including open source analysis
- Execution and management of threat assessment programs to identify, evaluate, and analyze indicators and behaviors indicative of domestic violent extremists
- Training and awareness programs (e.g. through social media, suspicious activity reporting (SAR) indicators and behaviors) to help prevent radicalization.
- Training and awareness programs (e.g. through social media, suspicious activity reporting (SAR) indicators and behaviors) to educate the public on misinformation campaigns and resources to help identify and report potential instances of domestic violent extremism
- Enhancing Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity risk assessments
- Migrating online services to the .gov” internet domain
- Projects that address vulnerabilities identified in cybersecurity risk assessments
- Improving cybersecurity of critical infrastructure to meet minimum levels identified by CISA.
- Cybersecurity training and planning
- Threat Mitigation Plans
- Continuity of Operations Plans
- Enhancing the Protection of Soft Targets / Crowded Places
- Risk Assessments
- Physical security enhancements– Requires KHC & EHP Review.
- Security cameras (CCTV) – Requires KHC & EHP Review.
- Security screening equipment for people and baggage
- Lighting– Requires KHC & EHP Review. • Access controls– Requires KHC & EHP Review.
- Fencing, gates, barriers, etc. – Requires KHC & EHP Review.
- Enhancing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and/or improvised explosive device (IED) prevention, detection, response and recovery capabilities
- CBRNE/Bomb Squad/SWAT detection, prevention, response, and recovery equipment and PPE
- UAS – Unmanned Aircraft System/Drone
- Active shooter training
- Joint training and planning CBRNE/Bomb Squad/SWAT
- Sharing and leveraging intelligence and information
- Security training for employees
- Public awareness/preparedness campaigns
- Community Preparedness & Resilience
- Community Mapping: identify community resources and characteristics in order to identify gaps in resources, hazards and vulnerabilities, and inform action to promote resilience
- Establish, train, and maintain Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and Teen CERT, with a focus on underserved communities, including procurement of appropriate tools, equipment and training aid:
- Local delivery of CERT train-the-trainer and CERT Program Manager to build local program training and maintenance capacity
- Partner with local school districts to deliver Student Tools for Emergency Planning curriculum or other educational to guide students on how to create emergency kits and family communications plans
- Execute You are Help Until Help Arrives” workshops in concert with community based organizations to bolster individual preparedness
- Target youth preparedness using FEMA programming such as Prepare w/ Pedro resources and Ready2Help.
- Election Security
- Physical security planning support • Physical/site measures – e.g., shatter proof glass, alarms, etc.
- General election security navigator support
- Cybersecurity risk assessments, training, and planning
- Projects that address vulnerabilities identified in cybersecurity risk assessments
- Iterative backups, encrypted backups, network segmentation, software to monitor/scan, and endpoint protection
- Distributed Denial of Service protection
- Migrating online services to the .gov” internet domain
- Emergency Communications and Emergency Medical Services
- Radio Equipment
- Communications Infrastructure Equipment (voters, repeaters, antennas, microwave links) – Requires KHC & EHP Review.
- 911 – ONLY non-certified PSAPs applying for equipment necessary to obtain 911 Services Board certification and certified PSAPs applying for projects outside 202 KAR 6.090 may apply.
- Emergency Medical Equipment
- Exercises & Training
- Response Exercises
- Training