Port Manatee gets small FEMA security grant

PORT MANATEE -- As traffic and the need for more security infrastructure grow at Port Manatee, grant funding for security upgrades hit an unusual lull this year.

Port officials learned last week that the Federal Emergency Management Administration will send $326,250 in September as part of its $100 million Port Security Grant Program. The award is significantly smaller than the $1.8 million it received from FEMA in 2014. But more requests and, likely, more money will be on the way as soon as next year.

David St. Pierre, the port's security director, said the money will be used to buy two portable emergency generators to power port offices and other facilities in the event of a disaster. The port matched the grant with $108,750 of its own money.

Those generators will augment a safety and security system that has had capital improvements funded to the tune of about $12 million since Sept. 11, 2001. Grant funding totaling $10 million has gone into security projects at the port, including upgrades to its south gate, building out space for a training and emergency response center and night-vision surveillance cameras. During the past 14 years, the 1,100-acre port has also been fully fenced.

Just two weeks ago, the port's executive director, Carlos Buquereas, told the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee that another $6 million in funding would be welcome. U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, was on a tour of the port with Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, when McCaul brought up the subject of security funding.

Some of that money, or any federal security grant funding, would likely go toward increasing the port's capacity to screen trucks and other vehicles passing through its two entry gates.

"I envision we're going to have to do a number things," St. Pierre said.

Other Florida ports received more money that Port Manatee during the most recent round of grant funding. Port Tampa Bay, the closest deepwater port to Port Manatee, garnered more than $1.6 million from FEMA. The award was the largest among the state's seaports.

In a news release, Port Tampa Bay officials stat

ed that the money will be used to detect and monitor cyber security threats, as well as a deployable on-water barrier system to cordon off access points at the port during emergencies.

Port Manatee is still funding security projects with the money it received from FEMA last year. That grant, along with port matching funds, put more than $2.3 million into security projects.

Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027, or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Port Manatee gets small FEMA security grant ."