The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently opened the application period for the Next Generation Warning System Grant Program. The program will award $48 million to states, territories and tribal nations to support projects that identify capability gaps and implement solutions for the timely delivery of public emergency information alerts and warnings.
The program focuses on enhancing Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-compatible alert and warning capabilities, improving the emergency alert and warning system’s resiliency, and delivering timely public safety information through innovative services, solutions and technology.
“The NGWS grant provides federal support to modernize and strengthen state-led and locally executed public alert and warning capabilities,” Robert Fenton, senior official performing the duties of the FEMA administrator, said. “This funding supports services, solutions and technologies that improve the timely delivery of emergency information by states, territories and tribal nations to the public.”
Grant recipients will work with FEMA to explore available, flexible, innovative and forward-looking capabilities to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings and will coordinate and execute public warning field training, testing, exercises and evaluation.
FEMA will hold two webinars this week to provide interested applicants with a proposed project list for ways grantees can test, pilot and evaluate alerting capabilities.