Erie County receiving emergency management performance grant

$343,328 awarded in FEMA grant funding for fiscal year 2020

Earlier this week, the Erie County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) announced it had received Emergency Management Performance Grant funding of $343,328 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

EMPG grant funding is provided to support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s focus on building and sustaining integrated capabilities consistent with national priorities across all levels of government and the community. Participation in this grant requires a focused effort on best practices, mandated trainings and exercises.

“DHSES has been an essential part of Erie County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, just as they have been on the front lines of many emergency situations,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said. “For the department to be awarded this annual, performance-based grant again underscores the good work they are doing and their importance to our community’s response to all emergencies.”

“We are proud to once again have received this Emergency Management Performance Grant funding,” Erie County Commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Daniel Neaverth Jr. said. “This grant supports trainings and exercises for real-world, all-hazard responses such as COVID-19 and is critical in building capacity in areas such as logistics/ distribution management planning, disaster financial management, catastrophic disaster housing and resilient communications.”

DHS/FEMA preparedness grant programs are intended to support core capabilities across the five mission areas of prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery, providing necessary preparation for incidents that pose the greatest risk to regional, state and national security. The EMPG grant program places a tight focus on consistent nationwide capabilities that include training, planning and communication.