How FEMA grant cuts could impact local county EMAs

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind.-- Planning, preparation, mitigation, recovery, and response. That's the job of an emergency management agency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires all counties have a multi-hazard mitigation plan.

"You put together this plan to identify what hazards you have that threaten your community, and how you can possibly mitigate that," said Al Kirsits, director of St. Joseph County EMA.

In St. Joseph County, Kirsits achieved this big task with the help of BRIC, or Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, grant funds from FEMA.

However, on April 4, the program was cut.

A statement from a FEMA spokesperson reads in part, “The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."

"I feel for any county that has to do this plan and doesn't have this funding available," Kirsits said.

Luckily in St. Joseph County, they already received and spent their funds on their plan, all except $200, that is.

"This plan is important, we're proud of it. It's almost done. We've spent everything except $200 of this grant," he said. "I hope that other $200 is still available for it, if not, we'll be looking for that to pay it off."

But other nearby counties stand to suffer more.

A since-deleted Facebook post from the Marshall County EMA reads in part, "We were in the midst of an application for improved flood monitoring when this decision was reached. We regret to say that project will not be moving forward."

And in Elkhart County, where flooding concerns are especially pronounced, EMA Director Jenn Tobey sent ABC57 the following statement:

"Elkhart County just recently updated their countywide mitigation plan and was planning to apply for grants like the BRIC to address shortfalls identified during the process. We would like to add a flood gauge in the St. Joseph River. We want to revisit our outdoor warning siren system to possibly upgrade to a central system. We want to purchase a mass notification system for the county. These types of projects may go unfunded now. Grants are very useful and important in the emergency management agency operations."

ABC57's Annie Kate asked Kirsits if the people of Michiana stand to suffer from grant cuts like this at FEMA.

"I can't really say that," he said. "We'll continue to look for funding, see if they come up with new rules, and just go from there."

According to FEMA, $133 million dollars to date has gone to about 450 applications. It claims about $882 million will return to the U.S. Treasury or get reapportioned by Congress.