DHS Grants $1 Billion for Emergency Radios

When terrorists struck on 9/11, firefighters and police officers had no practical way to communicate with one another using their radios. Police had police radios, and firefighters had firefighter radios. Nearly six years later, the Department of Homeland Security announced today that it will give $1 billion in grants to cities and states to correct  such communications problems.

The city of New York will receive $34.8 million, the biggest grant to go to any municipality. The families of city firefighters have spoken out on the issue recently as former Mayor Rudy Giuliani campaigns for the presidency. New York lost 343 firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001.

--Nikki Schwab