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D.C. will manage a $30 million federal grant to protect the region from threats “posed by dangerous radiological or nuclear materials” by raising the area’s detection capabilities.

The five-year grant is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Securing the Cities program, which began in New York City.

“The Securing the Cities funding will help the District of Columbia, as well as our friends and neighbors in the National Capital Region, further reduce risk along our area roadways, rail, and maritime pathways,” Mayor Vince Gray said in a release.

The money will be used to “build a robust, regional nuclear detection capability for law enforcement and first responder organizations” in the region. “Initial efforts will focus on analyzing the region’s current capabilities and planning for post-program sustainment activities,” per a release.

D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency will manage the grant on behalf of the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Prince William County.

During a 2012 Congressional hearing on DHS’s nuclear detection strategy, then Rep. Daniel Lungren, who served on the Homeland Security committee, said the Securing the Cities program “successfully put radiation detector technology in the hands of first responders throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Securing the Cities is a model for Federal-State nuclear defense cooperation.”