City of Alexandria, Virginia
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 8, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: FELIPE HERNANDEZ, FIRE EMS CHIEF
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Request to accept funding from the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Regional Preparedness System (RPS) grant.
BODY
ISSUE: Should the City accept its annual allotment of grant funds in the amount of $356,345 from the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Regional Preparedness System (RPS) grant?
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council authorizes the City Manager to retroactively accept $356,345 from the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Regional Preparedness System (RPS) grant in support of the City’s emergency preparedness activities.
BACKGROUND: The City of Alexandria Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is a subrecipient of the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Regional Preparedness System (RPS) grant. This grant is awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency who serves as the State Administrative Agent. This is our annual allotment of UASI funds as part of a larger grant that is divided amongst the jurisdictions in the National Capital Region.
DISCUSSION: The subaward of the grant totals $356,345 with the performance period from September 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025. These annual funds support the City’s emergency preparedness-related activities, including salary and fringe benefits for two full-time Office of Emergency Management personnel, and other preparedness-related expenses. In addition, 5% of this sub-award covers management and administration costs.
This year’s award has increased (it is approximately $100,000 more than the City received in the prior fiscal year) due to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management forfeiting their portion of the grant, which allowed all Northern Virginia local jurisdictions to receive an increase.
Currently, the UASI award amounts are still uncertain for future performance periods. However, staff expect grant funding to at least allow the City to maintain level funding for this program through FY 2026. Previously, FEMA had intended to phase out the UASI grant by the end of calendar year 2025, requiring local jurisdictions to consider using local funds in FY 2027 or making other program changes for preparedness-related activities previously funded by the grant.
FISCAL IMPACT: The grant requires no matching funds from the City; no fiscal impact in FY 2026 is expected. If the next award includes a reduced grant amount, the City will need to consider fiscal impacts in FY 2027.
ATTACHMENT: None
STAFF:
Yon Lambert, Deputy City Manager
Marc Barbiere, Emergency Management Coordinator