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Vermont emergency managers warn FEMA funding delays could force layoffs, pause training
Summary
Vermont Emergency Management director Eric Wong told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy committee that delayed FEMA and federal grant approvals have forced the agency to pause contracts, training and purchases and may exhaust reserve funds by mid‑February unless awards clear, risking staff reductions and reduced response capacity.
Eric Wong, director of Vermont Emergency Management, told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy committee on Jan. 14 that delays in federal grant approvals from FEMA and other agencies are disrupting the agency’s ability to support municipalities and carry out preparedness work.
Wong said several federal grant streams that make up a large share of his agency’s budget have been delayed past their typical Oct. 1 obligation date, including the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) and Homeland Security grants. “Because of these delays, the EMS had, of course, canceled business travel, curtailed or canceled training and exercise, and put needed purchases on…
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