Las Vegas, Nev.– U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded the Las Vegas metropolitan area five million dollars under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program. The UASI grant program provides federal funding to support preparedness in high-threat, high-density urban areas and improves the ability of local communities to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.
“Las Vegas welcomes 39 million visitors each year. While we are proud to be the Entertainment Capitol of the World, this status creates unique challenges for the city’s first responders. Today’s funding announcement will help provide certainty to critical agencies in Las Vegas that respond to catastrophic events, like what our community experienced after the 1October tragedy, and will better equip first responders to prevent future tragedies and keep residents as well as visitors safe. I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure that, as one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, the Las Vegas metropolitan area gets the support it needs to prevent and respond to emergencies.”
BACKGROUND:
Earlier this year, Senator Cortez Masto joined her colleagues in the Nevada Delegation in urging Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to modify the UASI grant formula and reassess Las Vegas’ “Relative Risk Profile” to reflect the city’s status as a high-volume tourist city and potential target for terrorism. Currently, the Las Vegas Strip is classified as a single security asset, not taking into account that the Strip is composed of over 30 hotels, resorts, and casinos.
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