Winston-Salem is getting federal money to help fight terrorism. The award was announced Friday.
The city will receive $1.87 million to help address gaps in regional preparedness against coordinated terrorist attacks. Those gaps were discovered during a 2014 training exercise run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The grant is part of a broader program that distributed nearly $36 million to state, regional and local governments. Winston-Salem's share was the largest grant given to a local entity.
The money will be used to beef up city and county public safety resources in the event of a terrorist attack.
Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines praised the award, saying keeping citizens safe is the “highest calling of a local government.”
The grant application was spearheaded by city and county elected officials, and backed by U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, along with U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx.