ALBANY, NY (April 1, 2026) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10.5 million in federal homeland security funding awarded to localities across New York, including Westchester County and several Sound Shore municipalities, to support emergency response, infrastructure protection and cybersecurity efforts.
The funding, distributed through the FY 2023 and FY 2024 State Homeland Security Program, will support 80 cities, towns, villages and counties statewide. According to the announcement, recipients include Westchester County, the City of New Rochelle, the City of Rye and the Village of Mamaroneck.
Bomb squads, hazardous materials teams, explosive detection canine teams, tactical teams and technical rescue and urban search and rescue teams are among those receiving funding. The grants are intended to “protect and secure critical infrastructure, mass gathering events and enhance local governments’ cybersecurity capabilities.”
“My number one priority is public safety and ensuring that local municipalities have the support necessary to protect New Yorkers when threats emerge,” Hochul said. “With these grants, we are directly investing in the teams who defend New York’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats and respond when emergencies strike – ensuring a secure New York ahead of this summer’s events.”
Westchester County received multiple awards across several programs, including:
- $227,272 (FY2023) and $81,818 (FY2024) for bomb squad initiatives
- $122,500 (FY2023) and $44,981 (FY2024) for hazardous materials response
- $50,000 for cybersecurity improvements
- $60,000 for explosive detection canine teams
- $75,000 for tactical team support
- $100,000 for technical rescue and urban search and rescue capabilities
Within Westchester’s Sound Shore communities:
- The City of New Rochelle received $60,000 for explosive detection canine teams and $75,000 for tactical team support
- The City of Rye received $50,000 through the Critical Infrastructure Grant Program
- The Village of Mamaroneck received $4,642 through the Critical Infrastructure Grant Program
The State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services manages the funding across seven targeted federal grant programs. The agency said it has distributed more than $108 million through these programs to date.
Division Acting Commissioner Terry O’Leary said the funding ensures “those on the first line of defense have the resources they need to do their work efficiently.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer said the funding will help “ensure more local governments can improve critical infrastructure to keep our communities safe,” citing threats ranging from terrorism to cybersecurity incidents.
State and local government groups, including the New York State Conference of Mayors and the New York State Association of Counties, said the funding supports training, equipment and preparedness for local governments facing “evolving threats.”
The programs fund a range of activities, including bomb squad readiness, hazardous materials response, cybersecurity improvements, explosive detection canine units, tactical response teams and technical rescue operations.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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