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 recommended FY26 Operating Budget for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is $5,722,207, an increase of $956,179 or 20.06 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $4,766,028. Personnel Costs comprise 63.37 percent of the budget for 23 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 23.70 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 36.63 percent of the FY26 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 FY25 estimates reflect funding based on the FY25 approved budget. The FY26 and FY27 figures are performance targets based on the FY26 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY27.

Initiatives

• Maintain Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to help Montgomery County nonprofits and faith-based organizations cover security personnel and planning costs.

• Fund personnel costs for four emergency management employees currently supported by Urban Area Security Initiative grant funds.
• Add funding to support Community Outreach, Volunteer and Donations Management, Training and Exercise Support, and Planning Support Programs. Funding will ensure the continuation of educational initiatives that equip residents with readiness to respond effectively to emergencies.
• Add funding to support Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Emergency Management Accreditation (EMAP), and regular maintenance of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Partnered with the Office of Grants Management (OGM) to launch the FY25 Nonprofit Security Grant Program, awarding $1.2 million to 117 applicants for community security enhancements.
• Pursued Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for County COVID-19 expenses, submitting $218 million. Of this, $185 million was eligible, $117 million reimbursed, and $68 million remains under review, with $50 million near obligation.
• Managed $4.6 million in Federal Homeland Security grants for public safety, funding personnel, equipment, training, and infrastructure enhancements.
• As of February, responded to 43 emergencies, including fires, floods, evacuations, hazardous spills, and major regional events like the January 2025 aircraft disaster.
• In 2024, sent 487 emergency alerts on weather, transit, public health, and more to 250,400 Alert Montgomery subscribers, a 4.8 percent increase over the previous year.
• Held 79 community outreach events on emergency preparedness, including the first Ready Montgomery Seminar, educating hundreds on response skills and climate resilience.
• OEMHS is developing a Public Safety Joint Operations Center to enhance real-time coordination across agencies. It will house the Fire Operations Center, OEMHS Watch Desk, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) Real-Time Intelligence Center, and Drone as a First Responder Program, improving emergency response and efficiency.
• Led climate adaptation efforts, hosting the first Resilience Hub Workshop for 125+ participants, expanding Spanish-language outreach, and advising on the Comprehensive Flood Management Study.
• Redesigned the Emergency Management Group, aligning nearly 350 members by role for targeted training, communications, and strategic assignments, with exercises set for Spring/Summer 2025.

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...