Governor Carcieri Announces $856,000 Homeland Security Award to Rhode Island; Rhode Island's Innovation @ Scale Project Selected as 1 of only 12 for U.S. IT Funding.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri announced today that Rhode Island has been awarded an $856,000 grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security's Information Technology Evaluation Program (ITEP) to fund its Port Security Telecommunications Network in Narragansett Bay. Significantly, Rhode Island received almost 10 percent of the total funding and was one of just 12 projects in the U.S., out of a total of 113 submissions that received a grant award.

"This is a great honor to receive funding for the Port Security Telecommunications project. It validates our Innovation @ Scale approach to economic development. Rhode Island's size is a competitive advantage because we can help demonstrate innovation more easily and effectively. Once proven here, these new ideas and technologies can be rolled out nationally. With this grant, Rhode Island will be playing an integral role in developing a cutting-edge communications system that will serve to reduce barriers to information sharing among key agencies and enhance security applications," stated Governor Carcieri.

The Office for Domestic Preparedness and the Office of the Chief Information Officer, co-administrators of the program, evaluated 113 ITEP proposals and selected 12 projects for funding. "We are exceedingly pleased with the quality of the ITEP proposals submitted by the states," said Homeland Security CIO Steve Cooper. "We believe we have selected those projects that show the most innovative uses of information technology for enhancing homeland security and whose projected results show the greatest promise for nationwide application."

The Port Security Telecommunications Network will provide a joint and discreet communications system that gives voice, data and video to field units, while having the ability to integrate a range of sensors and early warning devices - video cameras and encoders, undersea sensors, motion and proximity sensors, and biochemical sensors - into one comprehensive security system.

The four principals instrumental in receiving the award are the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Other partners in the pilot demonstration project include the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority (RIBTA), Port of Providence Terminals, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

General Reginald Centracchio, director of RIEMA added, "Being able to bring the various stakeholders together was an important component of being awarded this funding. We are excited to develop and deploy the Port Security Telecommunications Network in Narragansett Bay, which will improve the security of Rhode Island, but other ports across the country as well."

"We at Lockheed Martin were happy to assist the state and all the parties involved with recommendations regarding this proposal," stated Joe Ducas, manager of business development of Lockheed Martin. "Rhode Island stands out as a great place to demonstrate new technologies."

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) is a quasi-public agency that works to strengthen the Rhode Island economy through policies, programs, and projects that enhance and enrich the business environment for public and private sectors in order to create prosperity for all Rhode Islanders. For more information about the RIEDC, please visit www.blueskyri.com.

The other 11 submissions out of 113 proposals that received grant awards were the following: Arizona, Alabama, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.