Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security
Metro-Boston Homeland Security Region
Frequently Asked Questions
What jurisdictions comprise the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region?
The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program was designed to provide financial assistance to address the unique planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs of large urban areas, and to assist them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. The program also provides funding to mass transit systems for the protection of critical infrastructure and emergency preparedness activities. The Boston urban area defined under the UASI Program consists of the following nine municipalities: Back to Top
What is the plan for the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR)?
The MBHSR is dedicated to preparing and training for, responding to, and recovering from a chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and explosive (CBRNE) WMD incident. The Metro Boston Homeland Security Regional Plan outlines the region’s security goals, objectives, projects and tasks for the coming fiscal year, and is updated as necessary.
Metro Boston Homeland Security Regional Plan
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Who do I contact for information on the different disciplines’ initiatives and meetings?
For any information regarding the disciplines within the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region, please contact the appropriate Discipline Coordinator:
How do I get reimbursed for trainings?
If your agency, discipline, or jurisdiction attends a training program that has received Office of Domestic Preparedness certification, you are eligible for funds to supplement the cost of attending the course, either by overtime or backfill. You may not receive both for the same shift, as the reimbursement exists to supplement, not supplant, the costs for the course. Prior to attending the course, you must first fill out a pre-requisition form, applying to have money obligated for reimbursement.
Once the training has been completed and the officers have been paid by your department, you must submit a training reimbursement form with the pertinent information. (As directed at the bottom of the form, if your financial department runs reports with similar information, that report can be submitted in place of the supplied form, but must contain the proper signatures.)
MOHS can only fund training overtime and backfill costs on reimbursement basis and can not pay for overtime or backfill until after it has been paid by your department.
When filling out the reimbursement forms, be as specific as possible, as it will help expedite the process. For instance, in the Course Description column, please include the title of the course when seeking reimbursements for overtime costs. When seeking reimbursement for backfill, include the officer’s name whose shift you backfilled.
PLEASE NOTE: When you are seeking reimbursement for SLATT/NIMS/ICS training, please specify whether a shift was SLATT or NIMS/ICS. Financial guidelines stipulate the separation of these two sources.
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What do all the acronyms used by Homeland Security mean?
Here is a comprehensive list of Acronyms from www.FEMA.gov.
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Who should I contact for Homeland Security information from my own jurisdiction?
Each municipality has a Jurisdictional Point of Contact (JPOC). They are as follows:
Back to Top
Can anyone attend JPOC meetings?
Yes, the JPOCs meet monthly, and all meetings are open meetings unless otherwise noted. The Homeland Security Council may have closed meetings at its discretion. Please consult your JPOC prior to attending a meeting. See the Current & Upcoming Events page for meeting dates, times, and locations.
Back to Top
Where can I find a copy of the MBHSR Newsletter?
The MBHSR Newsletters are archived on this website.
Back to Top
What is the process for procuring equipment?
In order to purchase equipment under the UASI grant, the following process should be followed.
First, any equipment procured under the UASI grant program must be ODP approved. The list of approved costs can be found in the ODP Allowable Expenditure List (AEL). If the equipment is an allowable expense, you should next view the MOHS Project Funding Availability page on the website where you can gauge if the equipment fits into the objectives of the MBHSR Regional Plan.
Provided that the equipment is an allowable cost and consistent with the Regional Plan, a proposal must be submitted to the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security (MOHS) via your Discipline Coordinator. You can find the guidelines for creating this proposal on this site as well on the Project Plan Development & Implementation Policy page. This page includes a flow chart for schematic clarification of the process, as well as a complete outline of the proposal guidelines.
After you submit the proposal, you will receive notification of the proposal’s receipt from MOHS, and you will be notified of its status. You may be asked to submit further information to justify the cost.
If your proposal is approved, or conditionally approved, then you will be asked to submit a pre-requisition form, complete with specs for the purchase. It may be helpful to get a sample quote from a vendor and attach this to the form. This way, all of the specifications for the purchase will be taken into account.
Back to Top
Where can I find minutes to any of the discipline subcommittee meetings?
For all information regarding the subcommittees, please contact your discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
Can I use other grants for Homeland Security initiatives?
Yes, MOHS encourages jurisdictions to supplement ODP funding through cost-sharing initiatives. One very helpful source of grant and equipment information is the Responder Knowledge Base.
Back to Top
What CBRNE-WMD training programs are available?
All ODP-approved WMD-related courses are located in the ODP Training Catalog. The catalog covers almost all aspects of WMD incidents. For all ODP-approved courses, agencies are eligible to receive reimbursement for backfill or overtime to supplement costs by the department for sending officers. For more information, contact your appropriate discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
What if there is not a training program that fits my objective?
Any agency can propose a new WMD training program for ODP-approval. However, the process is lengthy and the likelihood of a new program receiving certification is not high. Agencies are strongly encouraged to explore the ODP Training Catalog and utilize a pre-existing course. Make sure that you are looking at the latest version of the ODP Catalog, as it is updated as new programs and equipment are developed. For more information contact your appropriate discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
Helpful Links:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What jurisdictions comprise the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region?
- What is the plan for the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR)?
- Who do I contact for information on the different disciplines’ initiatives and meetings?
- How do I get reimbursed for trainings?
- What do all the acronyms used by Homeland Security mean?
- Who should I contact for Homeland Security information from my own jurisdiction?
- Can anyone attend JPOC meetings?
- Where can I find a copy of the MBHSR Newsletter?
- What is the process for procuring equipment?
- Where can I find minutes to any of the discipline subcommittee meetings?
- Can I use other grants for Homeland Security initiatives?
- What CBRNE-WMD training programs are available?
- What if there is not a training program that fits my objective?
- Helpful Links
What jurisdictions comprise the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region?
The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program was designed to provide financial assistance to address the unique planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs of large urban areas, and to assist them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. The program also provides funding to mass transit systems for the protection of critical infrastructure and emergency preparedness activities. The Boston urban area defined under the UASI Program consists of the following nine municipalities: Back to Top
What is the plan for the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR)?
The MBHSR is dedicated to preparing and training for, responding to, and recovering from a chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and explosive (CBRNE) WMD incident. The Metro Boston Homeland Security Regional Plan outlines the region’s security goals, objectives, projects and tasks for the coming fiscal year, and is updated as necessary.
Back to Top
Who do I contact for information on the different disciplines’ initiatives and meetings?
For any information regarding the disciplines within the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region, please contact the appropriate Discipline Coordinator:
- Michael Colanti, Fire Service Coordinator
- Jonathan Dillon, EMS Coordinator
- Timothy McDonald, COBTH Coordinator
- Liam Seward, Public Health Coordinator
- Adam Wehrenberg, Law Enforcement Coordinator
How do I get reimbursed for trainings?
If your agency, discipline, or jurisdiction attends a training program that has received Office of Domestic Preparedness certification, you are eligible for funds to supplement the cost of attending the course, either by overtime or backfill. You may not receive both for the same shift, as the reimbursement exists to supplement, not supplant, the costs for the course. Prior to attending the course, you must first fill out a pre-requisition form, applying to have money obligated for reimbursement.
Once the training has been completed and the officers have been paid by your department, you must submit a training reimbursement form with the pertinent information. (As directed at the bottom of the form, if your financial department runs reports with similar information, that report can be submitted in place of the supplied form, but must contain the proper signatures.)
MOHS can only fund training overtime and backfill costs on reimbursement basis and can not pay for overtime or backfill until after it has been paid by your department.
When filling out the reimbursement forms, be as specific as possible, as it will help expedite the process. For instance, in the Course Description column, please include the title of the course when seeking reimbursements for overtime costs. When seeking reimbursement for backfill, include the officer’s name whose shift you backfilled.
PLEASE NOTE: When you are seeking reimbursement for SLATT/NIMS/ICS training, please specify whether a shift was SLATT or NIMS/ICS. Financial guidelines stipulate the separation of these two sources.
Back to Top
What do all the acronyms used by Homeland Security mean?
Here is a comprehensive list of Acronyms from www.FEMA.gov.
Back to Top
Who should I contact for Homeland Security information from my own jurisdiction?
Each municipality has a Jurisdictional Point of Contact (JPOC). They are as follows:
- Boston, Carlo Boccia, Director of Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security
- Brookline, Chief Daniel O’Leary, Brookline PD
- Cambridge, Chief Gerald Reardon, Cambridge Fire
- Chelsea, Allan Alpert, Director, Chelsea EMA
- Everett, Chief David Butler, Everett Fire
- Quincy, David Murphy, Director of Operations
- Revere, Chief Eugene Doherty, Revere Fire
- Somerville, Deputy Chief Thomas Graney, Somerville Fire
- Winthrop, Chief Larry Powers, Winthrop Fire
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Can anyone attend JPOC meetings?
Yes, the JPOCs meet monthly, and all meetings are open meetings unless otherwise noted. The Homeland Security Council may have closed meetings at its discretion. Please consult your JPOC prior to attending a meeting. See the Current & Upcoming Events page for meeting dates, times, and locations.
Back to Top
Where can I find a copy of the MBHSR Newsletter?
The MBHSR Newsletters are archived on this website.
Back to Top
What is the process for procuring equipment?
In order to purchase equipment under the UASI grant, the following process should be followed.
First, any equipment procured under the UASI grant program must be ODP approved. The list of approved costs can be found in the ODP Allowable Expenditure List (AEL). If the equipment is an allowable expense, you should next view the MOHS Project Funding Availability page on the website where you can gauge if the equipment fits into the objectives of the MBHSR Regional Plan.
Provided that the equipment is an allowable cost and consistent with the Regional Plan, a proposal must be submitted to the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security (MOHS) via your Discipline Coordinator. You can find the guidelines for creating this proposal on this site as well on the Project Plan Development & Implementation Policy page. This page includes a flow chart for schematic clarification of the process, as well as a complete outline of the proposal guidelines.
After you submit the proposal, you will receive notification of the proposal’s receipt from MOHS, and you will be notified of its status. You may be asked to submit further information to justify the cost.
If your proposal is approved, or conditionally approved, then you will be asked to submit a pre-requisition form, complete with specs for the purchase. It may be helpful to get a sample quote from a vendor and attach this to the form. This way, all of the specifications for the purchase will be taken into account.
Back to Top
Where can I find minutes to any of the discipline subcommittee meetings?
For all information regarding the subcommittees, please contact your discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
Can I use other grants for Homeland Security initiatives?
Yes, MOHS encourages jurisdictions to supplement ODP funding through cost-sharing initiatives. One very helpful source of grant and equipment information is the Responder Knowledge Base.
Back to Top
What CBRNE-WMD training programs are available?
All ODP-approved WMD-related courses are located in the ODP Training Catalog. The catalog covers almost all aspects of WMD incidents. For all ODP-approved courses, agencies are eligible to receive reimbursement for backfill or overtime to supplement costs by the department for sending officers. For more information, contact your appropriate discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
What if there is not a training program that fits my objective?
Any agency can propose a new WMD training program for ODP-approval. However, the process is lengthy and the likelihood of a new program receiving certification is not high. Agencies are strongly encouraged to explore the ODP Training Catalog and utilize a pre-existing course. Make sure that you are looking at the latest version of the ODP Catalog, as it is updated as new programs and equipment are developed. For more information contact your appropriate discipline coordinator.
Back to Top
Helpful Links:
- Responder Knowledge Base
- Officer of Domestic Preparedness
- Department of Homeland Security
- Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA)
- Massachusetts Emergency Management Association (MEMA)
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety
- DelValle Institute for Emergency Preparedness
- City of Boston
©2008 The City of Boston