Emergency Management Archives

Conduit Street Podcast: From Maryland to Missouri, County Issues Align

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson is joined by Steve Hobbs, Executive Director of the Missouri Association of Counties, for a conversation on the issues shaping county government across state lines. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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June 26, 2026

Emergency Management / News You Can Use

FCC Considers Cybersecurity Upgrades for Emergency Alert System

The Federal Communications Commission will consider a package of changes later this month aimed at bolstering cybersecurity protections for the nation’s emergency alert systems and modernizing how alerts reach the public. For counties, the proposal affects some of the most important tools available during emergencies. Local emergency managers rely on the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to communicate with residents during severe weather events, hazardous materials incidents, evacuations, public safety emergencies,…

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June 8, 2026

County News / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Intergovernmental Relations / News You Can Use / Risk Management

Howard Launches Task Force on Disability Inclusion and Crisis Response

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced a new cross-agency task force to evaluate how local government responds to crises involving people with disabilities and neurodivergences. Established through Executive Order 2026-08, the Task Force on Disability Inclusion, Safety, and Crisis Response will review current policies, procedures, and coordination efforts related to behavioral health emergencies, emergency communications, and frontline response systems. The effort reflects growing nationwide conversations about how local governments train and equip emergency responders…

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May 28, 2026

Economic Development / Emergency Management / Environment / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations / Risk Management

Climate Resilience Summit Seeks Strategies To Prevent Small Business Displacement

As local governments continue investing in climate resilience, disaster recovery, and infrastructure improvements, a growing conversation is emerging around how those efforts can unintentionally contribute to displacement, particularly for small businesses in vulnerable communities. The 2026 Small Business Anti-Displacement Network Summit is seeking proposals focused on equitable climate resilience and recovery strategies that help small businesses remain rooted in place as communities adapt to climate pressures. The virtual summit, scheduled for Nov. 12–13, is co-hosted…

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May 20, 2026

County News / Emergency Management / Feature / NACo Achievement Awards

New FEMA Blueprint Shifts More Disaster Recovery Costs, Responsibility to States and Counties

A new federal report released this week calls for a dramatic restructuring of the nation’s disaster response system by significantly shifting more responsibility and untenable fiscal risk onto states and local governments. The 75-page report from the President’s FEMA Review Council argues that disaster response should become “locally executed, state or tribally managed, and federally supported.” That philosophy drives nearly every recommendation in the report, including raising federal disaster thresholds, limiting federal recovery assistance, restructuring…

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May 8, 2026

County News / Emergency Management

Baltimore County Names New Emergency Management Director

Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier has appointed Calvin J. Bowman as Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management within the Baltimore County Fire Department. Bowman brings more than two decades of experience across local, state, and federal government. His work has focused on preparing for major emergencies, maintaining continuity of operations, and coordinating response and recovery across agencies. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Cal. He’s steady, he knows this work, and he understands…

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May 5, 2026

Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / Public Safety and Corrections

US House Advances FirstNet Reauthorization for Public Safety Network

The US House of Representatives passed H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Reauthorization Act of 2026, on April 20 by voice vote with no opposition. The bill previously advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March on a unanimous, bipartisan vote and now heads to the US Senate. The legislation reauthorizes the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), the nationwide public safety broadband network dedicated to first responders. Why it matters FirstNet was…

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April 29, 2026

County News / Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues

NACo Brings Counties to Washington To Push for Federal Disaster Reform

County leaders are in Washington this week pushing for changes to federal disaster policy as storms, flooding, and extreme weather keep hitting local governments first and hardest. The National Association of Counties (NACo) brought county officials together for a leadership fly-in on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, through Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The group serves on NACo’s Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, which focuses on fixing how federal, State, and local governments prepare for and respond…

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April 28, 2026

Agriculture / County News / Emergency Management

USDA Designates Nine MD Counties as Drought Disaster Areas

Ongoing dry conditions during the growing season led the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to designate nine Maryland counties as drought disaster areas. Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Washington counties qualify for assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Eligible farmers may apply for FSA emergency loans. The agency reviews each application based on the farm’s specific circumstances and needs. Farmers have eight months from the disaster designation…

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April 22, 2026

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2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

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April 17, 2026