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Emergency management warns of staffing strain as World Cup and other events strain resources
Summary
The city's emergency management office told the Ways and Means committee that preparing for FIFA World Cup activity, recent shootings and a historic blizzard have stretched staff and delayed grant timelines; the office expects federal EMPG allocations to begin June 10 and plans to limit CERT trainings this year.
Chair Miguel Sanchez opened the committee meeting and recognized the city's emergency management presentation about readiness for multiple hazards and large events.
The emergency management director (agency official) said the office's primary role is preparedness'planning, training and exercises for all hazards, and described recent activations after two shootings and a historic blizzard. "One of our primary roles is the preparedness component of that," the director said, explaining the office ranks hazards, develops plans and trains city and community partners.
Committee members pressed the director on staffing and federal funding. The director told the committee the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) allocation process is expected to open on June 10 and that other federal grant programs are moving more slowly than in past years because of federal delays. "We're having some success with federal funding," the director said, "but things are much more delayed and cumbersome than they have been historically." The presentation noted the department previously had two preparedness coordinators and now has one.
Council members asked whether the department's volunteer training (CERT) and community response capacity would be affected. The director said staffing and World Cup priorities will reduce CERT classes to one this year. "We're probably only gonna do one class this year," the director said, adding the city maintains a single citywide CERT roster rather than neighborhood teams.
Why it matters: The office is leading planning and coordination with state and regional partners in advance of World Cup activity and other summer hazards. Council members repeatedly urged additional staffing to avoid burn-out and to retain talent, and the director said the office is seeking federal and alternate funding but expects continued administrative delays.
Next steps: The director and staff will continue to pursue federal grants as they open and return to committee with any material changes to staffing requests or grant awards.
