Previous grants had been used to buy millions of dollars of emergency equipment, begin a statewide project that'll allow all first-responders to communicate with each other during a disaster, and outfit and train the state's six hazardous-material teams, seven decontamination teams, and an urban search-and-rescue team.

"I am disappointed that state officials will be forced to become more creative with our state's homeland security efforts due to decreased funding levels for this fiscal year," said Rep. James R. Langevin, D-R.I., a member of the Homeland Security Committee. "Despite Rhode Island's cut in funding, I am confident that our Emergency Management Agency will remain dedicated to keeping us all safe in the face of natural disaster or terrorist attack."

Governor Carciieri also expressed his disappointment with the decision. “While I’m pleased that federal officials don’t believe the Ocean State is a target, Rhode Island deserves to receive the federal funding necessary to protect our citizens from terrorist threats and natural disasters,” he said in a statement.

The sharp decrease in funding for 2006 was anticipated by Rhode Island emergency officials after the federal government changed its formula for allocating funding for different homeland security programs. In the past, Homeland Security told state officials how much money their state would receive, and then the officials would submit plans for spending it.

This time, each state received a baseline amount calculated according to population and then had to bid for more money based on risk, need and vulnerability. More money was also shifted to 50 most at-risk cities in the nation -- the Boston area was the only city in New England to make the list.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits