The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded DATTCO, Inc., $117,874 under the fiscal year 2019 Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSG).
This is the fifth-highest individual company award and the highest in the northeast. This can be a competitive market due to the increased security risks associated with cities such as Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.
The bus security grants are part of $1.7 billion in funding given by the DHS to 29 intercity bus operators for the 2019 fiscal year to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure. DHS said the grants focus on “31 high-threat, high-density urban areas” that “face the most significant threats.”
“DATTCO is very grateful to have received such a large amount of the available security funding for the current year,” said Dennis Lyons, vice president of DATTCO’s Coach & Tour Group. “The grant will allow us to continue improving security and monitoring at our facilities that dispatch motorcoaches to these great cities on the eastern seaboard that unfortunately have become high threat areas in this day.”
The security upgrade includes installation of video surveillance equipment at DATTCO terminals in New Britain and Bridgeport, Conn., and Fairhaven, Mass. Live video monitoring can help mitigate risk and liability by identifying safety issues before they lead to injuries or loss of life.
“DATTCO will match this grant dollar-for-dollar in order to invest in the best security technology available,” said DATTCO President Donald DeVivo. “What we learn from live video monitoring provides us with the tools necessary to strengthen our safety protocols. Ensuring our operators and passengers are safe and secure on our buses is a top priority for us.”
