The Central Virginia Urban Areas Security Initiative

The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) program focuses on enhancing regional preparedness in major metropolitan areas.  Funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the UASI program directly supports the National Priority on expanding regional collaboration in the National Preparedness Guidelines and is intended to assist participating jurisdictions in developing integrated regional systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery.  Consistent with the 9/11 Act, states are required to ensure that at least 25 percent of UASI-appropriated funds are dedicated towards law enforcement terrorism prevention-oriented planning, organization, training, exercise, and equipment activities.

The Central Virginia UASI is one of 64 UASI programs across the United States. Formed in 2008, it includes 20 localities in the metropolitan Richmond region. These communities vary greatly in character, from rural to urban. However, they all possess critical infrastructure and key resources that are vital to the region. The Department of Homeland Security provides funding annually to the Central Virginia UASI program to foster regional collaboration in emergency preparedness and enhance the resilience of the region to disasters.

The Central Virginia UASI is comprised of:

• The Counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and Sussex

• The Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond

• The military installations of Defense Supply Center Richmond, Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee, and Fort Pickett are also located within the CVUASI region

These jurisdictions come together to form the Central Virginia Urban Area Work Group (CVUAWG). It serves as the governing body for the CVUASI. The CVUAWG is made up of representatives from each of the localities in many disciplines, including public works, emergency management, and public safety. State agencies that provide support to the CVUAWG, such as the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management are also represented. The CVUAWG meets monthly to share information, discuss regional projects that will be funded by the UASI grant program, allocate UASI funds, and track the progress of projects already underway.

In 2009, the CVUAWG recognized that emergencies, even seemingly small ones, have the potential to reach across jurisdictional boundaries and impact the region as a whole. Therefore, the CVUAWG determined the need for a staff of planners to address regional emergency management issues. To that end, UASI funds were used to create a staff of three regional emergency management planners. These planners focus primarily on developing solutions to emergency management issues affecting the region. They also provide technical assistance with local emergency management projects for the jurisdictions of the UAWG. The planning staff is grouped under the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission. This provides the dual benefit of giving every locality equal access to the planning staff and also allows the emergency planners to take advantage of an existing and proven framework for regional collaboration.