Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee to recommend acceptance of $25,600 Homeland Security grant for emergency management supplies
Summary
The finance committee laid on the table to recommend approval a $25,600 FEMA/Homeland Security grant (passed through MEMA) to Somerville’s Office of Emergency Management to buy supplies and training materials; the grant requires an in‑kind match of a portion of the director’s salary.
The Finance Committee agreed to recommend accepting and expending a $25,600 grant from Homeland Security (administered via MEMA/FEMA) to the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Director Bill Fisher outlined planned uses of the money and said the award requires an in‑kind match: a portion of the director’s salary would be accounted for as local match.
Director Fisher said the grant is an annual allocation apportioned by population and will be used for emergency management supplies and resilience work. He described how the city’s Somerville Emergency Management Group will use funds for clothing for the emergency management team, training materials to support the “Until Help Arrives” FEMA program (training packets and equipment), electronic boards to improve communications between the Emergency Operations Center and the policy group, and nonverbal communication “handy talker” cards to help residents with communication needs in shelters or incident locations. He also said a portion of the grant will be shared with the Fire Department for search‑and‑rescue items (helmets, boots, radio chargers and flashlights).
Committee members welcomed the new deputy director, Lauren Mahoney, and asked about coordination with UASI (Urban Area Security Initiative) funding and other regional partners. Fisher said he has been in touch with Boston’s UASI point of contact and that some UASI funds can support the “Until Help Arrives” work. Councilors also asked whether the group’s work addresses displaced residents after fires; Fisher described existing procedures, coordination with Red Cross and CDS for urgent medical needs (for example, delivering insulin to a displaced resident) and said the Emergency Management Group focuses on planning, exercises and cross‑departmental coordination so response is practiced before an event.
The committee laid this item on the table to recommend approval to the full council. No roll call was recorded in the segment; staff memos from OEM were included in the meeting packet.
