Flagstaff presenters outline emergency‑management program and ask for staff, equipment funding

Flagstaff City staff on the emergency‑management team on Monday described a newly formalized program, recent mitigation projects and the limits of a single full‑time emergency manager, and requested funding to add personnel, vehicles and planning capacity.

The presentation, led by the city’s Emergency Management Director (Stacy) and Daniel Kelly, the emergency program manager, outlined the program’s mission “to reduce loss of life [and] property” through an all‑hazards approach and said the city now coordinates prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery across divisions and with external partners including Northern Arizona University, Coconino County, state emergency management and federal agencies.

Why it matters

Officials told the committee Flagstaff faces a complex risk environment — wildland fire, post‑fire flooding, winter storms, heavy rail traffic through town, cyber incidents and frequent special events — and argued local capacity must grow so the city can respond quickly without waiting for outside aid. Daniel Kelly said the city currently has one dedicated full‑time emergency‑management specialist and that “I’m the only subject matter specialist for the city who is dedicated, in emergency management,” a staffing level he and presenters described as insufficient for both day‑to‑day…