WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a $42.8 billion fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that includes funding for the Westmoreland County Alternate Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  The House and Senate conferenced this bill, which must now be passed by the full Senate before heading to the President for his signature.  The House passed the bill 307-114. 

The appropriations bill provides $900,000 to construct an Emergency Operations Center at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe to meet statutory mandates for an alternate location at both the local and county level.  The Center will be constructed on properties owned and operated by the Westmoreland County Airport Authority and will include both meeting and office space as well as a “hot-site” alternate location for the Westmoreland County 9-1-1 Center.

“An alternate Emergency Operations Center will provide Westmoreland County and local first responders with improved emergency management capabilities,” noted Murtha.  “These capabilities will ensure that they are prepared to respond in times of crisis or disaster.”

The FY10 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill also makes key national investments into:

• Border Patrol Agents: $3.6 billion to fully support 20,163 Border Patrol agents, an increase of 6,000 since 2006.

• Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology (BSFIT): $800 million for Southwest Border investments, $25 million above 2009.  Through a mix of fencing, technology, and Border Patrol agents on the ground, Customs and Border Protection now has nearly 700 miles of the Southwest border under effective control, compared to 241 miles in FY2005.

• Homeland Security Grants: $4.17 billion to assist states and local first responders with grants for everything from planning to equipment purchases.

• E-Verify: Includes a 3-year extension of E-Verify, and $137 million to operate the system and further improve its accuracy and compliance rates.

• Cyber Security: The bill provides $397 million to combat the cyber security threat to computer networks, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure.

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