Funding will support emergency response capabilities and emergency operations centers nationwide

WASHINGTON — FEMA announced more than $420 million in federal funding through two grant programs aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness, response capabilities and resilience efforts for state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

The agency said $337 million will be distributed through the Fiscal Year 2026 Emergency Management Performance Grant program, while nearly $83 million will be provided through the Fiscal Year 2026 Emergency Operations Center Grant program.

According to FEMA, the funding is intended to help government agencies improve emergency response capabilities and prepare for potential catastrophic incidents. The grants focus on strengthening state and local emergency preparedness systems and supporting response operations during disasters and other emergencies.

“Emergency management works best when it is locally executed, state-led and federally supported,” Robert J. Fenton Jr., senior official performing the duties of the FEMA administrator, said in a statement. “The funding announced today is one way that FEMA empowers communities to invest in their disaster response and recovery capabilities.”

FEMA said recipients of the Emergency Management Performance Grant program have previously used funding to hire and train personnel, purchase equipment such as generators and mobile command vehicles, and establish interoperable communications systems to improve coordination among first responders during disasters.

The Emergency Operations Center Grant program will support the construction, modernization and equipping of emergency operations centers. FEMA said these facilities serve as centralized coordination hubs where multiple agencies and jurisdictions share information, allocate resources and make decisions during emergencies.

The agency said emergency operations centers help prevent communication breakdowns, reduce duplicate efforts and support unified response operations during crises.

The application period for both grant programs opens June 15, 2026, and closes July 15, 2026. Eligible state, local, tribal and territorial applicants can review funding opportunity details and application requirements through Grants.gov.

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