A helping hand for those that grab it

When the Anaheim, Calif., police chief wanted a federal grant for a regional emergency management system, he sought help from one of the city's IT contractors, EDS Corp.Four EDS officials accompanied Police Chief Roger Baker when he met with Homeland Security Department officials in Washington last September, and just two months later, the city received a $10 million urban security grant from the department's Office of Domestic Preparedness. "They talked to DHS and got the critical level of funding necessary to get us over the top," said Tom Wood, Anaheim's assistant city manager, referring to the assistance provided b y EDS. What's the lesson here? Experienced integrators know they can't simply sit back and wait for homeland security funds to start rolling in. A company with a strong Washington presence can help local government customers make the right contacts and navigate the complex world of federal grants. For our front-page feature, Staff Writer William Welsh talked to officials from EDS, Northrop Grumman and other companies that are taking advantage of their expertise at both the federal and state and local levels to make inroads into the homeland security market. Local government and industry officials interested in homeland security projects are still figuring out how to get federal funds flowing more quickly. But one thing is certain: Just waiting doesn't work.