FEMA Talking Points on Regionalization of Grant Programs and Timing of EMPG Grant Announcements

Date:  May 7, 2010

FEMA has shared the following talking points.  Please share this information.

Regionalization of Grant Programs

Since the passage of the Post¡¾Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2007, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been working towards a new strategy to regionalize a
portion of FEMA¡Çs preparedness grant programs in order to develop a more robust preparedness
structure within the Regions. FEMA Headquarters (HQ) has been working closely with the Regions on
the regionalization of the following grant programs:

1. The Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program
2. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant Program
3. Driver¡Çs License Security Grant Program (DLSGP)
4. Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP)
5. Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS)
6. Citizen Corps Program (CCP)

EMPG will be first of the above six grant programs to be coordinated and awarded at the regional level.
The following provides details regarding the release of FY 2010 EMPG Awards.

 FEMA is committed to awarding funds for the regionalized grant· programs (as well as all of the
preparedness grant programs) in a timely manner, given the importance of these funds to states
and localities.

 FEMA HQ has worked with the Regions to establish a schedule to· announce all FY 2010 EMPG
awards by June 1, 2010.

 Some of the FY 2010 EMPG awards are now ready for award, and FEMA HQ· stands ready to
assist in moving this money out to the States.

 As such, in order to provide this much¡¾needed funding to the states· and localities as quickly as
possible, rather than utilizing a single, standard announcement date, FEMA HQ is working to
announce all FY 2010 EMPG awards on a rolling (weekly) basis, starting on May 14, 2010. This
method should expedite the release of funding to the grantees.

 FEMA HQ intends to make several rounds of announcements/congressional· notification for FY
2010 EMPG awards.

 The first is scheduled for May 14, 2010; the second is scheduled for· May 21, 2010.

 Notification of subsequent rounds FY 2010 EMPG awards will be· provided in the very near term.

 Release notification and talking points of the other regionalized· preparedness grant programs
will be provided in a timely manner once these rollout schedules have been determined