Port of Long Beach receives $3.4 million in FEMA grants

The Security Division of the Port of Long Beach recently received $3.4 million in grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund ongoing projects to protect the port. 

The grants will be used to improve the security systems that are currently in place at the port. These include monitoring and detection systems, such as the Virtual Port Systems, as well as physical security equipment. 

FEMA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides grants for a variety of initiatives, including port security. Recipients of the grants, including the Port of Long Beach, must be able to pay a minimum of 25 percent of the project’s total cost.

The cargo that travels through the Port of Long Beach is ultimately responsible for approximately 1.4 million jobs throughout the U.S., which makes the port especially important to the nation's economy. Security operations have been continuously upgraded since Sept. 11, 2011 thanks in part to $136 million in federal grants.

“Protecting workers and the community, as well as ensuring business continuity, are top priorities at the Port of Long Beach,” Lori Ann Guzmán, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, said. “FEMA’s grant money will help us carry out important security projects and enhance our abilities to work with our security partners at the port.”