Vermont emergency managers warn FEMA funding delays could force layoffs, pause training
Loading...
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 hold,” Wong said.
The director described EMPG as a central grant that historically covers a significant portion of operating costs and said the agency has been operating on remaining balances from prior awards while awaiting the 2025 allocations. He cautioned that those carryover reserves will be exhausted by mid‑February unless funds are released and that options after that point range from service reductions to personnel layoffs. “All the balls are in the air, so we can’t adjust one way or the other. Once one hits the ground, we can go one way or the other and try to compensate,” Wong said.
Wong attributed the delays to litigation and administrative holds tied to federal program reviews and to changes in grant terms applied after awards were initially announced. He said some awards have had added requirements or shortened performance periods and that litigation nationwide related to grant processes has contributed to the uncertainty. He also noted that while FEMA has not formally denied awards (which would open an appeal process), the agency has paused obligations and that formal appeals remain pending in some cases.
Committee members pressed on contingency planning. Wong said the agency has postponed routine trainings, deferred purchases (including computers and vehicle upgrades), and limited travel and exercises to ‘‘keep the lights on’’ while preserving core response capability. He warned that losing staff would reduce the state’s capacity to operate emergency operations centers and to support municipalities during floods or other disasters. “If we did lose any personnel, there would be a direct impact to the ability of the [state emergency operation centers] to manage their capabilities,” Wong said.
The committee asked for an update in February; Wong agreed to provide a written status report of funding flows and impacts.
Next steps: the committee will monitor the status of EMPG and other FEMA obligations and requested a follow‑up report from emergency management in mid‑February.
