Miss. Gets Money for Homeland Security

By: Associated Press

Updated: Mon 11:24 AM, Mar 10, 2003

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove has claimed all of a $7.5 million allotment made available to the state for homeland security efforts.

Musgrove's spokesman, John Sewell, said the funding would be used for training, equipment, technical assistance, risk and needs assessments for the state's first responders.

The money comes from the Office of Domestic Preparedness in the Department of Homeland Security.

Mississippi Emergency Management Director, Robert Latham, said the money is the first funding released by the Homeland Security Department for first responders since the attacks on the World Trade Center 18 months ago.

Latham said 80 percent of the money would be used to buy first responder equipment.

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