Office for Domestic Preparedness 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20531

ODP Information Bulletin 

No. 163 April 29, 2005 

TO: All State Administrative Agency Heads 

All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact 

FROM: Matt A. Mayer 

 Acting Executive Director 

SUBJECT: FY 2005 Transit Security Grant Program Regional Transit Security Strategy 

Development and Submission Technical Assistance 

The Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP) is 

offering Technical Assistance to support Regional Transit Security Working Groups 

(RTSWG) in the development of the Regional Transit Security Strategy (RTSS). 

Submission of the RTSS by August 31, 2005 is required to comply with Transit Security 

Grant Program (TSGP) application guidance. 

REGIONAL TRANSIT SECURITY STRATEGY REQUIREMENTS

The regional allocation and reporting of TSGP funding is driven by the completion of a

Regional Transit Security Strategy. An RTSS must be developed by each Regional 

Transit Security Working Group and should establish an overall vision of regional 

transit preparedness. The RTSS will serve as the strategy for the region with specific 

goals and objectives as they relate to prevention, detection, response, and recovery. 

Per the FY05 TSGP Program Guidance, RTSWGs should leverage existing strategy 

documents including the Transit System Risk Assessment and Security and Emergency 

Preparedness Plans for participating transit agencies. The RTSS must specifically attend 

to IED, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear prevention, detection 

and response capabilities, and the actions necessary to address any gaps. 
A template for the RTSS is attached to this Information Bulletin and is available 

electronically on the ODP Secure Portal at https://odp.esportals.com/. 

TRANSIT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

To assist SAAs with establishment of the RTSWG and the subsequent development of 

the RTSS by August 31, 2005, SLGCP is offering several types of technical assistance 

(TA). Available TA includes: TSGP Orientation Workshop, RTSS Development TA, and 

Risk Assessment TA. 

TSGP Orientation 

TA Workshop 

Description 

The Orientation Workshop provides assistance in understanding 

and managing the FY 2005 TSGP. The workshop will address the 

requirements associated with developing and submitting the 

RTSS to SLGCP, by working on-site in that state to ensure the 

RTSWG has the tools necessary to develop a strategy that serves 

the needs of the RTSWG (SAA(s), UAWG representatives, eligible 

transit systems, Amtrak (Northeast Corridor and Chicago Hub), 

and other related transit systems in the region. Tasks included in 

this Workshop include but are not limited to: Organizing the 

RTSWG, Interpreting the requirements outlined in the FY 2005 

TSGP guidance; Coordinating the RTSS with applicable state and 

urban area homeland security strategies; Understanding the 

RTSS approval process, and finally Understanding reporting 

requirements using the ODP Grant Reporting Tool. 

Frequency One delivery per eligible urban area region. 

Target Audience SAAs and members of the Regional Transit 

Security Working Group. This should include personnel 

responsible for developing and updating the projects to be 

funded through FY 2005 TSGP. The SAA may also want to 

include the financial services representative responsible for 

managing its grant resources. 

TSGP RTSS 

Development TA 

Description 

The RTSS Development Workshop provides assistance in the 

development and submission of the RTSS to ODP. As part of this 

workshop, facilitators will be able to assist RTSWGs with 

developing the required elements of the RTSS and completing 

and submitting the RTSS template to ODP. SLGCP will provide 

staff that will work on site in the state to initiate the RTSS 

development process. 
Frequency One delivery per eligible urban area region. 

Target Audience SAAs and members of the Regional Transit 

Security Working Group. This should include personnel 

responsible for developing and updating the projects to be 

funded through FY 2005 TSGP. 

TSGP Risk 

Assessment TA 

Description 

The Risk Assessment is used to identify and prioritize mass 

transit agency needs, according to risk, security and response 

capability. The process involves three primary components, Risk 

Assessment, Response Capabilities Assessment and Needs 

Assessment. SLGCP will provide staff who will work on site at 

the eligible transit agency to assist the agency in the prioritization 

of security countermeasures and emergency response capability 

needs based on "risk", and to develop a "roadmap" for future 

transit agency funding allocations for "terrorist risk" reduction. 

Frequency One delivery per eligible agency. 

Target Audience Transit Agencies participating in the Transit 

Security Grant Program are eligible for Risk Assessment TA and 

may schedule it through their SAA. SAAs will coordinate all TA 

requests through their SLGCP Preparedness Officer. 

REQUESTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The technical assistance outlined above is available on a first come, first serve basis and 

subject to the availability of funding. TA request forms are available in the SLGCP TA 

Catalog at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/ODP_TA_Catalog.pdf. 

These forms should be submitted by the SAA to the appropriate PPD state 

preparedness officer for coordination. 

Questions related to this grant program may be directed to tsgp@dhs.gov or to the 

SLGCP Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk at 1-800-368-6498. 

Attachments: 

RTSS Template 

Proof of Concurrence 

TSGP Orientation Fact Sheet 

Transit Fact Sheet RTSS 

TSGP FAQs