BISMARCK – North Dakota Department of Emergency Services announces training funding availability through Hazardous Materials Emergency Grant Program

NDDES now is taking applications for a grant program that aids public sector employees in increasing state, tribal and local effectiveness in safely and efficiently handling hazardous materials accidents and incidents. The funding, which is awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grant Program, is available to local responders to augment their hazardous materials safety programs to better protect all North Dakotans.

Some of the first responder organizations eligible to apply for HMEP grants include fire departments, police departments, local ambulance services, counties/cities or non-profit organizations that serve first responders. An applicant also must be part of an entity that responds to hazardous material incidents.

The HMEP grant program offers applicants a matching share for those that contribute a minimum of 20 percent to the total cost of a hazardous material program project. Currently, North Dakota has more than $246,000 available in HMEP Grant funds, which was awarded by the U.S. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in August 2020.

“By taking advantage of the HMEP grant funding available, local jurisdictions can better provide for the safety of their communities,” said Debbie LaCombe, N.D. Department of Emergency Services Preparedness Section chief. “We’ve been successful in awarding past applicants with these funds, who have allocated their grant dollars towards successful training and exercise events to bolster their hazardous emergency response programs.”

Applications are being accepted online through the NDDES’s Grant Management System at: grants.des.nd.gov. The application deadline for this round of HMEP grants is March 1. Those who are awarded grants must then implement a hazardous materials safety program project completed within a one-year time period: Oct. 1, 2021-Sept. 29, 2022.