Los Angeles, CAPress ConferenceDecember 15, 2004(Remarks as Prepared)

Good afternoon.  I thought I was coming to Hollywood to audition as thenext James Bond.  Despite the fact that my wife tells me Im as handsomeas Pierce Brosnan and as suave as Sean Connery, I did not get the part.  Studiosaid I dont have the right accent. Well I can fix that.  I just hired anew speech coach, Governor SchwarzeneggerI told the studio, Ill beback.

It is great to be here at Fire Station 27 with the people who are on thefront lines protecting this city and our nation.  The L.A. Fire DepartmentMuseum and Fallen Firefighter Memorial next door vividly remind us of thesacrifices our first responders make every day to keep our communities safe.

Many thanks to all of you for the great job you and your teams have done. You all work extremely hard to protect our nation every day.   Youare committed to protecting every citizen from the threat of terrorism, and Ihave been fortunate to work with you during the past three years.  Thankyou also for your dedication and partnership.  We are not yet safe, but weare safer.  And with your continued commitment, we will prevail andpreserve our freedom from those terrorists who seek to destroy it.

But simply being committed to that task is not enough to make us safe.  Wecannot achieve our collective mission without giving you the tools that help youdo your jobs. Our job at the Department of Homeland Security is to get you theresources, the funds, the technology, the technical assistance and the trainingyou need as quickly as we can in order for you to fight terrorism.  

So we are pleased to announce that California has been awarded more than $282million in new fiscal year 2005 Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban AreasSecurity Initiative funding.  Right here in the Los Angeles urban area, youhave been awarded $65 million.

These grants are part of the more than $2.5 billion in 2005 grants awarded tostates and urban areas that we announced this month funds that will providelocal communities and first responders with the resources they need to prevent,respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other disasters.

California has now received more than $1 billion in homeland security fundssince 2002.  And you have used those funds well. The equipment here in backof us -- hazmat rigs, bomb detection equipment, personal protective equipment in addition to emergency management software to enable real-time informationexchange and air sampling equipment and chemical detectorsare examples ofthat.  These are tools that fire fighters and emergency personnel need tofight terrorism.

And your work to create four Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Centers towork in partnership with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Departmentof Justice, the California State Highway Patrol and Emergency Services showsthat you understand our philosophy of shared responsibility, sharedaccountability and shared leadership.  You understand that the key toterrorism prevention is mutual cooperation -- sharing resources such asintelligence, equipment, supplies, trainingand people.  Your efforts andexample show the nation a level of cooperation, coordination and communicationthat reflects the urgency of our challenge to prevent a terrorist attack andrespond to any emergency.  

How do we do this?  By sharing information and best practices,developing standards and plans, and coming together for a common purpose.  Thankyou all for helping to lead that effort.  And thank you all for youreas,energy and cooperation.

With input from all of you and state and local partners across thecountry these new grants will get the tools to fight terror more quickly tothose who need them most first responders on the front lines.

Working together, we have continually improved the grant process.  Wehave streamlined funding procedures, expedited the flow of funds and establishedgreater accountability measures.  All of these initiatives will enhance thecapabilities of our nations first responders to prevent terrorism and respondto emergencies.

In the end, it is our collective commitment as a country to confrontterrorism that will mean the ultimate difference in this war on terrorism.

These grants are an important part of our common mission to preserve ourfreedoms, and protect America.  And we will fulfill our mission.  Wewill meet this urgent challenge.  And, together, we will win this war. 

Thank you.