REQUIRING PUERTO RICO TO DISTRIBUTE FEDERAL
FIRST RESPONDER ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
WHEREAS,
Puerto Rico’s Federation of Mayors (PRFM) is committed to the war against
terrorism; and
WHEREAS,
after September 11, 2001 cities throughout Puerto Rico have tried to allocate
unbudgeted resources to the new war on terrorism; and
WHEREAS,
during the recent state of High Alert on the National Threat Alert System, and
Operation Iraqi Freedom many cities in Puerto Rico were unable to meet the
security requirements of High Alert Status; and
WHEREAS,
many cities in Puerto Rico lack the economic resources to effectively implement
adequate training, equipment, and personnel to secure America’s back door; and
WHEREAS,
the commonwealth of Puerto Rico will submit the state strategic plan on
homeland security with the purpose of assigning total funding to the state and not
local units of Government without the local governments involvement on the
analysis or threat evaluation; and
WHEREAS,
the Federation of Mayors in Puerto Rico is concerned with the commonwealth
of Puerto Rico proposed Homeland Strategic Plan if approved, it will greatly
limit local units of governments ability to effectively implement first
responder programs, training, and equipment,
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Federation of Mayors in Puerto Rico by
this resolution requests the intervention of The U.S. Conference of Mayors and
the Department of Homeland Security to mandate the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
to distribute the 80 percent of Homeland Security funds to local units of
government.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors 