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Mass. emergency management overhaul sparks split testimony: state planners back update, fire officials warn of local control loss
Summary
Supporters from emergency management associations urged the committee to replace the Civil Defense Act of 1950 with an all‑hazards modern statute to strengthen preparedness and coordination. Fire chiefs and professional firefighters opposed parts of the draft, saying the bill reduces local authority and lacks collaboration with the fire service.
Federal funding instability and growing climate‑related disasters prompted advocates for emergency management reform to ask the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to modernize Massachusetts law, while fire chiefs warned that parts of the proposal would improperly remove local authority. "The Civil Defense Act of 1950 is dangerously outdated," said Christian Conney of the International Association of Emergency Managers. He testified that House Bill 2572 and Senate Bill 1668 would replace the old statute with a modern, all‑hazards framework that clarifies governor and MEMA authority, codifies the state emergency operations center and strengthens statewide and interstate coordination. Proponents also said the bill would permit…
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