(The Center Square) — Nevada’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is bracing for federal funding cuts to an urban security grant.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to cut $1 billion from the Urban Areas Security Initiative, as was leaked by CNN last week. Nevada looks set to lose considerable funds if President Donald Trump approves the move.
UASI cuts would create “a less secure nation, especially at the border and in some of the nation’s most targeted cities, including Miami, Washington DC, and Dallas,” read one of the leaked memos signed by senior White House administrators.
Federally, UASI is the largest of a slew of proposed FEMA cuts, with over $500 million provided to major U.S. cities.
“FEMA has not issued a formal decision regarding its cancellation,” Gail Powell, the Nevada OEM chief communications officer, told The Center Square Friday. “The state continues to monitor the situation closely, engage with our federal partners, and advocate for the needs of our state and its communities.”
Last year, the Las Vegas area received over $4.7 million from the UASI program, as per the Grants Office database. The federal funds help protect the city from emergencies and set up counterterrorism measures. It’s largely used for high-density sections of the city, such as the Las Vegas Strip.
If FEMA funds are cut, Nevada is expected to get the money from other federal grants.
“In the meantime, Nevada is proactively exploring strategies to ensure that the preparedness needs of both urban and rural communities can be met,” said Powell. “Should UASI funding not be released, the State Homeland Security Program funds will be utilized to sustain core capabilities and ensure continuity of operations across the state.”
But the State Homeland Security Funds Program has also recently been changed to shorten the application timeline for states. The grant applications were issued July 28 and have to be finished by Aug. 8 — a process that normally takes two months.
“Nevada acknowledges the significantly expedited timeline for the SHSP grant application – substantially shorter than in previous years – and is responding with urgency,” said Powell. “While the timeframe presents challenges, NV OEM is committed to administering these grants through our established processes, albeit on a compressed schedule.”
It remains to be seen if FEMA will follow through with the funding cuts, as Nevada and other states scramble to find a solution to the sudden budget changes.
