First responders in Aurora and Naperville will be better prepared to deal with coordinated terrorist attacks due to a grant of more than $1.3 million over three years awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
According to a news release, the cities worked in tandem to secure the grant money which will be used by police officers, firefighters, emergency management personnel and other first responders to coordinate training, planning, and exercises to enhance response in the event of a Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (CCTA); such as those that have occurred in Paris, Boston, San Bernardino and other cities across the globe.
The release says officials from both municipalities stress that training, planning, and exercises are needed to create appropriate response to any attacks.
The two cities submitted a three-year plan when they applied for the grant in February as part of FEMA's competitive grant program.
The $1,373,809 grant award to the Aurora-Naperville collaboration is the largest received by any Illinois municipality or government agency.