Governor Hochul Announces $7.4 Million in Federal Funding to Support Local Emergency Planning and Response Efforts

Funding to Support New York's Counties with Emergency Planning Efforts and Operational Readiness

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $7.4 million in federal funding is available to county emergency management agencies in New York State to support planning and operational readiness for any type of disaster. Through the annual federal Emergency Management Performance Grant, awardees can access funding to support a wide range of efforts ranging from the development and implementation of training and exercises to acquiring emergency response resources. 

"This funding is critically important to communities in New York State as we continue to recover from the storm-related damages we have experienced over recent months." Governor Hochul said, "As we are forced to deal with the devastating effects of climate change more regularly, I am confident that our local emergency management agencies will put this money to good use in preparing for future disasters."

To access the funding, local awardees must develop projects or initiatives that strengthen their own readiness and response capabilities to address all potential hazards. Projects should also focus on addressing any efforts identified by FEMA as needing national improvement. This includes logistics and distribution management planning, evacuation planning, disaster financial management, catastrophic disaster housing and resilient communications. 

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Terence J. O'Leary said, "In recent years, New York experienced a wide range of emergency scenarios spanning a pandemic and natural disasters to acts of terrorism, making it essential for emergency management personnel to have the resources they need to keep our communities safe. These grants will provide critical funding to our local partners to strengthen their readiness posture."

NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said, "Whether it's responding to a global health pandemic or severe storms and natural disasters, county emergency management has become an increasingly critical function. When disasters strike in our communities, counties mobilize emergency operations centers to coordinate the local response and ensure our residents get the help and resources they need to stay safe. We commend Governor Hochuland our Homeland Security leaders for recognizing the challenges we face and providing resources that will help us better prepare for the emergencies to come."

New York City Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani said, "Having access to critical funding like the Emergency Management Performance Grant will allow us to keep New York City safe and resilient as natural and manmade threats increase and evolve. NYC Emergency Management is committed to assisting every New Yorker and every community throughout the five boroughs, and we thank our government partners for recognizing and prioritizing the need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies."

Congresswoman Grace Meng said, "New York must be prepared for disasters and our state must have the resources it requires to plan for them. This need for emergency response readiness was underscored last month when the flooding caused by the remnants of Ida wreaked havoc on our region. The $7.4 million in federal funds that the Governor is announcing today will help with our effort to protect New Yorkers, and I'm pleased that New York will be receiving this critical funding. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for working to keep the residents of our state safe."

Congressman Adriano Espaillat said, "The last three months have showed us that disasters hitting New York City and all of New York State have not slowed down - especially in light of the climate crisis. New Yorkers deserve to know that their state and local governments are prepared to respond, are capable of softening the blow, and are ready to make sure New Yorkers can fully rebuild from any crisis - and this much-needed funding will ensure planning and operational readiness for any type of disaster New York might experience."

Working within this framework, funding can be used to support:

  • Management and administration activities;
  • Planning;
  • Staffing for emergency management agencies;
  • Equipment;
  • Training and exercises;
  • Construction and renovation of emergency operations centers; and
  • Maintenance and sustainment of GIS and interoperable communications systems

Ineligible costs include:

  • Unallowable equipment: firearms, ammunition, grenade launchers, bayonets, or weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind with weapons installed.
  • Costs to support the hiring of sworn public safety officers for the purposes of fulfilling traditional public safety duties or to supplant traditional public safety positions and responsibilities.
  • Activities and projects unrelated to the completion and implementation of the EMPG Program.

Award amounts available to local emergency management agencies are listed below:

Awardee

Total Award

Albany County

$116,055

Allegany County

$22,869

Broome County

$78,233

Cattaraugus County

$34,321

Cayuga County

$34,215

Chautauqua County

$54,250

Chemung County

$37,429

Chenango County

$23,428

Clinton County

$34,982

Columbia County

$28,034

Cortland County

$23,011

Delaware County

$22,516

Dutchess County

$113,604

Erie County

$340,513

Essex County

$19,373

Franklin County

$23,837

Fulton County

$25,273

Genesee County

$26,933

Greene County

$22,969

Hamilton County

$6,765

Herkimer County

$28,554

Jefferson County

$47,432

Lewis County

$14,889

Livingston County

$28,873

Madison County

$31,811

Monroe County

$276,737

Montgomery County

$23,333

Nassau County

$494,021

City of New York

$2,989,486

Niagara County

$84,026

Oneida County

$90,747

Onondaga County

$175,497

Ontario County

$44,402

Orange County

$141,102

Orleans County

$20,655

Oswego County

$49,578

Otsego County

$27,729

Putnam County

$41,401

Rensselaer County

$63,203

Rockland County

$118,787

Saratoga County

$85,172

Schenectady County

$61,486

Schoharie County

$16,956

Schuyler County

$11,696

Seneca County

$17,869

St. Lawrence County

$45,867

Steuben County

$41,138

Suffolk County

$550,175

Sullivan County

$33,310

Tioga County

$23,664

Tompkins County

$42,078

Ulster County

$71,622

Warren County

$28,988

Washington County

$28,078

Wayne County

$39,233

Westchester County

$351,492

Wyoming County

$20,389

Yates County

$14,254

Total

$7,364,340

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will administer this funding on behalf of FEMA. DHSES will be in contact with each jurisdiction's emergency management office directly to ensure that these funds are made available as quickly as possible.

About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other man-made and natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on Twitter, or Instagram, or visit dhses.ny.gov.

 

 
 
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Submitted by Carmel, NY

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