Read more about the article Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants Awarded To 55 Local Responder Agencies
County Budgets / County News / Emergency Management / Risk Management
Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants Awarded To 55 Local Responder Agencies

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service is providing Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 55 volunteer fire departments in 17 counties across the state. The funded projects help volunteer fire companies enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities. For the 2025 grant cycle, finalized in December, the Maryland Forest Service is providing $167,314 in match funding to complete $370,376 in total project cost. The grants match up to 50 percent of project cost with…

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January 19, 2026
Read more about the article Kent County Secures $6.2M in Funding for New Wastewater Treatment Plant
County News / Emergency Management / Environment / Housing and Community Development
Kent County Secures $6.2M in Funding for New Wastewater Treatment Plant

Kent County is moving forward with a major infrastructure investment after securing $6.2 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2026 to construct a new wastewater treatment plant in Millington, replacing aging, flood-prone infrastructure with a modern, resilient facility designed to support public health, environmental protection, and future growth. “I’m proud to have worked with Kent County to secure $6.2 million in agriculture appropriations funding for 2026 to build a new wastewater treatment plant in…

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January 14, 2026
Read more about the article Disaster Readiness Shifts as Counties Question Federal Reliability at #MACoCon
Preeti Emrick
Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / Winter Conference
Disaster Readiness Shifts as Counties Question Federal Reliability at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, emergency management leaders across all levels of government examined how growing federal uncertainty is reshaping preparedness planning and forcing counties to rethink long-standing assumptions about disaster readiness and recovery. The session, “Preparedness in Peril — Rethinking Readiness as Federal Stability Falters,” focused on mounting concerns about delayed federal engagement, slower reimbursements, shifting FEMA guidance, and uncertainty about when and how federal support materializes during emergencies. Delegate Dana Jones moderated the…

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December 17, 2025
Read more about the article Conduit Street Podcast: Professor Todd Eberly on “Interesting Times” in MD Politics
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Emergency Management / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations / Risk Management / School Construction and Capital Budgets / Taxes and Revenues
Conduit Street Podcast: Professor Todd Eberly on “Interesting Times” in MD Politics

As Maryland heads into a challenging budget year and an election cycle legislative session, Professor Todd Eberly of St. Mary’s College of Maryland joins the Conduit Street Podcast to unpack the forces shaping the state’s political and economic landscape.   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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December 5, 2025
Read more about the article Washington County First Responders Now Deliver Whole Blood in the Field
County News / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Washington County First Responders Now Deliver Whole Blood in the Field

The Washington County Division of Emergency Services (DES) has announced the launch of a Whole Blood Program, a life-saving advancement in prehospital care for critically injured patients experiencing severe blood loss (hemorrhagic shock). Meritus Medical Center, the region’s Level III Trauma Center, is the first hospital in Western Maryland to stock low-titer O whole blood (LTOWB), a battlefield innovation now transforming civilian medicine. Patients in hemorrhagic shock have a much higher chance of survival when whole…

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December 4, 2025
Read more about the article Garrett Boosts 9-1-1 Readiness With Unified Emergency Communications
County News / Emergency Management / Public Safety and Corrections
Garrett Boosts 9-1-1 Readiness With Unified Emergency Communications

Garrett County bolstered its emergency response system by moving 9-1-1 communications under the Emergency Management Division and relocating operations to the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This shift improves coordination across law enforcement, fire, and EMS while reinforcing system reliability during high-demand incidents. County 9-1-1 specialists now answer all emergency calls from the EOC and gather essential information for responders. They hold national medical, fire, and police dispatch certifications, which enable them to provide callers…

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December 2, 2025
Read more about the article Queen Anne’s CERT Program Trains 10 New Community Responders
County News / Education / Emergency Management / Public Safety and Corrections / Risk Management
Queen Anne’s CERT Program Trains 10 New Community Responders

Ten residents graduated from the Fall 2025 cohort of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program, managed by the Queen Anne’s County Department of Emergency Services, which concluded on October 28. The class was held weekly, spanning eight evenings in September and October, at the Queen Anne’s County Library Kent Island Branch in Stevensville. Participants learned how to become better prepared and how to help until professional first responders arrive for situations ranging from day-to-day…

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November 20, 2025
Read more about the article Maryland Sues To Block New FEMA Grant Restrictions
Courts / Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Winter Conference
Maryland Sues To Block New FEMA Grant Restrictions

Maryland moved to protect emergency management funding and continuity this week as Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit challenging new federal restrictions on FEMA preparedness grants that counties rely on to plan, respond to, and recover from disasters. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed suit this week, joining a coalition of states pushing back on new conditions tied to FEMA’s core preparedness and homeland security grants. State attorneys general argue the federal government cannot…

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November 5, 2025
Read more about the article Preparedness in Peril: Rethinking Readiness as Federal Stability Falters
Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Winter Conference
Preparedness in Peril: Rethinking Readiness as Federal Stability Falters

At this year’s MACo Winter Conference, counties will confront a harsh reality: federal disaster support no longer feels predictable, and preparedness planning now requires new strategies beyond Washington’s stability. Federal preparedness and disaster recovery support sit on unstable ground. Shutdown threats, frozen funds, legal battles, and shifting federal priorities have created fundamental planning uncertainty for counties responsible for public safety and emergency response. As national debate continues over disaster funding and FEMA’s future direction, counties…

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November 4, 2025
Read more about the article New Maryland Mesonet Weather Station in Queen Anne’s
County News / Emergency Management / Environment
New Maryland Mesonet Weather Station in Queen Anne’s

Queen Anne’s County has entered into a partnership with the University of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management to bring a new Maryland Mesonet weather station to White Marsh Park in Centreville. The Maryland Mesonet Project is a statewide initiative designed to monitor rapidly changing weather conditions and improve severe weather warning times for residents and local decision-makers. The program’s goal is to install at least three weather monitoring stations in each Maryland…

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October 23, 2025
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