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County emergency manager reports cutbacks to EMPG funding and a 'Code Red' data compromise
Summary
The county Emergency Manager told commissioners that federal/state emergency grants have declined, a Courts Creek scoping project is estimated at $47,990 (county match ~$11,997.50), and the county’s Code Red alerting vendor experienced a data compromise that interrupted IPAW-certified alerting.
The Lincoln County emergency manager briefed the commissioners on Dec. 3 about an array of preparedness issues: grant awards that appear reduced, an engineering scoping estimate for a stream/road armoring project, mountain‑top radio and generator repairs, and a local impact from a compromise of the Code Red alerting service.
On grants, the emergency manager said the Engineering estimate for a Courts Creek scoping project is $47,990, putting Lincoln County’s 25% match at $11,997.50. He said if the grant is awarded, the county likely would not need to provide funds for about a year while the grant moves through the approval process.
The manager told commissioners the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) for the county is likely to be in the $25,000–$27,000 range this cycle, down from roughly $62,000 in an earlier year, and that federal timing changes mean the county had to cover several months of EMA costs this fiscal year.
The manager also reported progress and costs for mountain‑top radio work, including a $3,700 line item to have radio racks moved and replaced when contractors needed to shut down systems for repair and reinstallation. He said several generator and electrical issues at remote sites have been resolved and that work continues to improve power availability at key communication sites.
On digital alerting, the manager said the county’s Code Red system had been compromised, that contacts exported from Code Red may have been posted externally, and that the county lost IPAW certification so it cannot yet send IPAW‑certified alerts from the new vendor instance. "Code Red got hacked," the manager said; the company has offered two months of service extension while the county migrates contacts and evaluates alternatives. The county has posted a press release and the sheriff’s office helped distribute initial messaging.
The emergency manager said he is evaluating whether to pursue a different alerting provider and will continue planning work (including an upcoming LAR exercise under local leadership with USFS assistance).
Ending: Commissioners heard the EMA report and requested follow-up on grant award amounts, timelines and alternative alerting options; the manager will bring updates when available.
