Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) to plan, coordinate, prevent, prepare for, and protect against major threats that may harm, disrupt, or destroy our communities, commerce, and institutions; and to effectively manage and coordinate the County's unified response, mitigation, and recovery from the consequences of such disasters or events should they occur. Key objectives are to:

• Coordinate County plans and actions to minimize harm to residents, employees, and visitors in Montgomery County before, during, and after emergencies.

• Coordinate the services, protection, and contingency plans for sustained operations of County facilities.

• Coordinate and provide public education to ensure the resilience of our communities during disasters.

• Coordinate Homeland Security policies and priorities for grant-seeking, management, and reporting.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is $4,766,028, an increase of $644,978 or 15.65 percent from the FY24 Approved Budget of $4,121,050. Personnel Costs comprise 67.88 percent of the budget for 21 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 22.20 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 32.12 percent of the FY25 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• Safe Neighborhoods
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY24 estimates reflect funding based on the FY24 approved budget. The FY25 and FY26 figures are performance targets based on the FY25 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY26.

Initiatives

• Integrate $900,000 into the base budget for the Non-Profit Security Grant Program, transitioning from one-time funding for non-profit and faith-based organizations to augment costs for security personnel or other security planning measures for nonprofit organizations located in Montgomery County.
• Allocate additional financial resources to support Regional Preparedness Program personnel, previously funded by a federal grant, to maintain stability and continue critical services provided.
• Transition a current Division Chief to Deputy Director to collaborate with the Director to implement the strategic vision for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and oversee the day-to-day operations.
• Continue to expand weather and flood monitoring equipment throughout the County to enhance real-time situational awareness and forecasting in preparation for and response to major weather events.

• Coordinate a Community Preparedness event for September 2024 to educate citizens on topics such as emergency preparedness; Alert Montgomery; Narcan education and training; Avoid, Deny, and Defend training; and Public Access Trauma Care for the residents and visitors of the County.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Coordinated with the Office of Grants Management (OGM) to launch the FY24 Nonprofit Security Grant Program. A total of $900,000 was awarded to the 136 applicants. Expedited an additional $311,000 in security funding to Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities to invest in security measures to protect their facilities.
• On behalf of all County agencies, OEMHS pursued reimbursement for COVID-19 expenses incurred by the County through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance program. Over $218 million was submitted for consideration. Of that, $77 million has been reimbursed to the County, $33 million more has been approved, and the remaining $108 million is currently under review by FEMA.
• Applied for, received, and managed over $4.6 million in federal Homeland Security grants on behalf of public safety agencies, funding a number of key personnel, equipment enhancements, trainings, exercises, and plans.
• As of February, responded to 45 distinct emergency events at the request of public safety partners, including building fires, flooding, evacuations, emergency notifications, weather events, gas leaks, water disruptions, civil disturbance, hazardous material spills, air quality degradations, communications interruptions, and others.
• Hired a Climate Adaptation Program Manager and Hydrologist to support the OEMHS-led action items in the County's Climate Action Plan. OEHMS is currently supporting the County Comprehensive Flood Management Plan and watershed studies.

Program Descriptions

  Administration

The Emergency Management Administration program handles grant and financial management, office administration, budget management, procurement, and human resources. This program also includes overall policy development for the office, as well as the administration of the County's Hazardous Materials Permitting Program....

  Emergency Management Planning, Response, and Recovery

The Emergency Management Planning, Response, and Recovery program represents the core programmatic activities of OEMHS. This program includes the planning, training, and exercising activities aimed at preparing County departments, non-profit partners, critical infrastructure, and County residents for large-scale emergencies. Major threats that this program addresses include, but are not...