Nebraska To Receive $7.3 Million for bioterrorism Preparedness from Feds

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson today announced that the State of Nebraska will receive more than $7.3 million from the federal government to strengthen the ability of local government and public health agencies to respond to bioterror attacks, infections diseases, and natural disasters.

The award is part of $849 million being distributed to states, territories, and four major metropolitan areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“This is an important step in making homeland security more about hometown security,” Senator Nelson said. “Our hometown public health systems are first in the line of defense when it comes to detection, reporting, and containing a terrorist attack. They need these federal resources to help them protect our neighborhoods.”

Today’s funding comes in addition to funds released earlier this month by Health and Human Services’ Health Resources Services Agency to strengthen hospitals’ abilities to respond to emergencies, in addition to improving a region’s overall response capability.

“These funds are a critical component to local preparedness,” Nelson said. “Securing hometowns is an ever-evolving process, but these funds will go a long way to ensure that we have taken steps towards preparing regions to respond to a public health emergency.”

HHS’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will distribute the funds to recipients to use the funds in several ways to improve public health and emergency response. These include improving communication and coordination between hospitals and local and state health departments, and their laboratories, while bolstering epidemiology and disease surveillance in state and local areas by increasing the number of people trained in emergency response.

For more information on the FY 2004 awards from the Public Health Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement, visit: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040617.html.

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	Press Release	June 17, 2004
Nebraska To Receive $7.3 Million for bioterrorism Preparedness from Feds WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson today announced that the State of Nebraska will receive more than $7.3 million from the federal government to strengthen the ability of local government and public health agencies to respond to bioterror attacks, infections diseases, and natural disasters. The award is part of $849 million being distributed to states, territories, and four major metropolitan areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “This is an important step in making homeland security more about hometown security,” Senator Nelson said. “Our hometown public health systems are first in the line of defense when it comes to detection, reporting, and containing a terrorist attack. They need these federal resources to help them protect our neighborhoods.” Today’s funding comes in addition to funds released earlier this month by Health and Human Services’ Health Resources Services Agency to strengthen hospitals’ abilities to respond to emergencies, in addition to improving a region’s overall response capability. “These funds are a critical component to local preparedness,” Nelson said. “Securing hometowns is an ever-evolving process, but these funds will go a long way to ensure that we have taken steps towards preparing regions to respond to a public health emergency.” HHS’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will distribute the funds to recipients to use the funds in several ways to improve public health and emergency response. These include improving communication and coordination between hospitals and local and state health departments, and their laboratories, while bolstering epidemiology and disease surveillance in state and local areas by increasing the number of people trained in emergency response. For more information on the FY 2004 awards from the Public Health Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement, visit: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040617.html. ###