State officials on the front lines of natural disaster preparation and emergency response say sharp cuts in federal security grants, limits on preparedness funds and litigation-related funding delays pose a growing risk to their ability to respond to crises.
All of this causes confusion, frustration, and anxiety. the Federal government shutdown Doesn’t help.
“Every day we remain in this grant purgatory reduces the time available to spend these important funds responsibly and effectively,” said Kelly Amundson, communications director for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
The uncertainty has led some emergency management agencies to stop filling vacant positions and make hasty decisions about training and critical procurement.
Experts say the developments complicate state-led emergency efforts and undermine the efforts of the Republican administration Stated objectives From shifting more responsibility to states and local governments for disaster response.
In an email statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the new requirements were necessary because of “recent population shifts” and that the changes in security grants were made “to respond to the new and urgent threats facing our nation.”
Many DHS and FEMA grants help states, tribes, and territories prepare for climate disasters and deter a variety of threats. This money pays for salaries, training, and things like vehicles, communications equipment and software.
State emergency managers say money is becoming increasingly important because… The range of threats they must prepare for is expandingIncluding epidemics and cyber attacks.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, divided a $320 million Emergency Management Performance Grant among the states on September 29. But the next day, states reported the funds were on hold until they filed a new census. The directive required the deletion of people “removed from the state under the immigration laws of the United States” and explained their methodology.
The amount of money distributed to states is based on U.S. Census data. The new requirement that forces states to submit revised numbers “is something we’ve never seen before,” said Trina Sheets, executive director of the National Emergency Management Association, a group that represents emergency managers. “It is certainly not the responsibility of emergency management to issue certificates to residents.”
With no guidance on how to calculate the numbers, Hawaii’s Amundson said staff scrambled to gather data from the 2020 census and other sources, then subtracted the number of “noncitizens” based on estimates from an advocacy group.
They are unsure about accepting the methodology. But with their FEMA contacts furloughed and the grant portal down during the federal shutdown, they can’t find out. Other countries said they were evaluating the request or awaiting further guidance.
The Department of Homeland Security said in its statement that FEMA needs to confirm its funding levels before awarding grant money, and this includes updates on state residents due to deportations.
Experts said the delay caused by the request could significantly impact local governments and agencies that receive grant money that moves from states because their budgets and staffs are smaller. Meanwhile, FEMA also reduced the time frame in which recipients had to spend the money, from three years to one year. This may prevent agencies from undertaking long-term projects.
State governments and local agencies need time to adjust their budgets to any kind of changes, said Brian Kuhn, president and CEO of consulting firm IEM and former Florida Emergency Management chief.
He said: “The interruption of these services could put the lives of Americans at risk.”
In another move that created uncertainty, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in September significantly reduced some states’ allocations from another source of funding. The $1 billion Homeland Security grant program is supposed to be based on assessed risks, and states pass most of the money to police and fire departments.
New York received $100 million less than expected, a 79% decrease, while Illinois saw a 69% decrease. Both states are politically controlled by Democrats. Meanwhile, some territories received a windfall, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, which received more than double its expected allotment.
The National Emergency Management Association said the grants are intended to be distributed based on risk, and that “it remains unclear what risk methodology is used” to determine the new funding allocation.
After a group of Democratic states objected to the cuts in court, a federal judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order on September 30. This forced FEMA to cancel the compensation notices and withhold payments until further court order.
The freeze “highlights the uncertainty and political volatility surrounding these awards,” said Frank Pace, director of the Hawaii Office of Homeland Security. The Democratic-controlled state received more money than expected, but expects to withdraw the reward with the lawsuit.
In Hawaii where Forest fires in 2023 With the hurricane, which devastated the town of Lahaina on Maui and killed more than 100 people, the state, counties and nonprofits face the “real possibility” of delays in paying contractors, completing projects and “even furloughs or layoffs” if grant freezes and the government shutdown continue, he said.
The countless setbacks prompted Washington state’s Department of Emergency Management to temporarily stop filling some positions “out of an abundance of caution,” said Karina Chagrin, director of communications.
Emergency management experts said these moves created a state of uncertainty among those responsible for preparedness.
The Trump administration suspended A FEMA’s $3.6 billion Disaster Resilience Program, Cutting FEMA’s workforce and disrupting routine training.
Other lawsuits also complicate the decision-making process. A federal judge in Manhattan last week ordered the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to do so Recovering $34 million in transit security grants She is blocked from New York City due to its immigration policies.
Another judge in Rhode Island The Department of Homeland Security was ordered to permanently stop enforcing the grant conditions Related to immigration enforcement, yet He ruled in September that the conditions were illegal — only for DHS to try to enforce it again.
Taken together, the turmoil surrounding what was once a trusted partner is prompting some states to prepare for a different relationship with FEMA.
Given all the uncertainties, states are trying to find ways to be “less dependent on federal funding,” said Sheets, of the National Emergency Management Association.