Funding Will Support Emergency Preparedness Programs for State, Local and Tribal First Responders

TTCI Expected to Have As Much as $6 Million Impact on Pueblo Economy

Washington, DC - Today, Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, announced that Pueblo's Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) is on track to receive $5 million in federal funding to boost its first responder emergency preparedness programs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the funding as part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010. Specifically, the $5 million in funding will be used to develop and deliver operations, technician, specialist and incident command training course for state, local and tribal first responders.

"TTCI plays a critical role in providing America's first responders with the training they need to keep our country safe," said Bennet. "This funding will help bolster TTCI's mission of emergency preparedness while also attracting millions of dollars in small business and hotel use to boost Pueblo's local economy."

The TTCI is a federally-owned facility, managed and utilized by the Federal Railroad Administration for safety research and training on behalf of the Department of Transportation. It is a member of the Department of Homeland Security's National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC).

The NDPC is the principal vehicle through which the Department of Homeland Security identifies, develops, tests and delivers training to state and emergency responders. As a member of the NDPC, TTCI, along with a similar facility in Hawaii, is the primary facility for providing first responders with hazardous materials training and full scale exercises in a railroad environment.

The Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which includes the TTCI funding, now awaits consideration by the full Senate.