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Emergency management warns federal preparedness grants uncertain; siren expansion deferred in FY 2026 recommended budget
Summary
Emergency management staff told elected officials April 29 that two core federal grant programs that fund a large portion of their staff and alerting systems — EMPG and SHSP — are not guaranteed for the coming year. Staff recommended keeping two emergency‑management positions in the budget but not including requested outdoor warning sirens in the
Emergency management presented its FY 2026 budget April 29 and warned elected officials of mounting uncertainty in federal preparedness grants that fund a significant portion of the office’s operations.
Rich Oakes, the county/town Emergency Management Coordinator, told the joint meeting the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) has historically funded a substantial share of salary and benefits for the two-office staff. “As of this morning,” he said, “they pretty much told us not to count our chickens.” Oakes told elected officials the state (Office of Homeland Security) had advised local coordinators that application timing and award amounts were unresolved and that some federal grant programs had been canceled or paused — for instance, he said FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) had been canceled for now and a DOT ‘PROTECT’ grant had also been closed.
Because roughly 80% of the emergency management office’s budget is personnel and benefits, and about half of that historically was offset by EMPG, Oakes recommended keeping two positions in the FY 2026 budget regardless of federal outcomes so the jurisdiction would retain local capability. He said that timing on federal awards is often delayed and reimbursement cycles can lag; his office typically submits EMPG claims after the federal fiscal year ends and waits for state subaward processing.
Capital and warning sirens: Emergency management requested funding for several outdoor warning sirens to close gaps in East Jackson, central Jackson and the West Side of the Pass. Oakes said the sirens can be deferred given the current fiscal situation; county staff confirmed sirens were not included in the recommended FY 2026 county/town budget.
Intergovernmental coordination: Oakes and other staff said the potential cancellation or reduction of federal preparedness funding has drawn statewide attention. The state Office of Homeland Security and national associations (such as NEMA and IAEM) are engaging on the issue. Oakes recommended elected officials consider the program consequences and whether the jurisdictions want to backstop grants locally if federal funding does not materialize.
Ending: Officials asked staff to monitor federal announcements and to return with contingency plans. Emergency management recommended retention of the two staffed positions in the budget while acknowledging the need to plan for contingencies should federal funding be reduced or cut.
