LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michigan State Police say vital FEMA grants should not getting paid on time — they usually’re apprehensive it’d begin to have an effect on some vital companies. State police inform 6 Information the delays may go away a $300 million hole of their finances for the 12 months.
These funds go to police departments throughout the state, and the cash helps them give their employees the specialised coaching to deal with a catastrophe, rebuild from one, and forestall one from taking place within the first place. 6 Information additionally talked with Ingham County officers who say much more than that goes on behind the scenes.
“We’re kind of like the backup, where the ones you don’t want to see, you don’t usually see in your neighborhood,” mentioned Rob Dale with Ingham County Emergency Administration.
No one ever desires a catastrophe of their group, however when one occurs, the Ingham County Emergency Administration crew will get a name.
“(If the) Fire Chief needs an excavator, because this building fell down, he doesn’t have to worry about looking up what the nearest excavator is,” mentioned Dale. “We already have those contacts.”
The crew additionally manages specialised tools like drones when officers need assistance with searches and are additionally skilled to deal with mass casualty occasions—like the big pileup on I-96 in November.
“We’re there just to kind of help them with command because a lot of people have never dealt with a scene with that many injured people,” mentioned Dale.
Division officers inform 6 Information that they use FEMA grants to pay for the specialised coaching they should do their job—they usually have already spent a few of that cash and made plans for the remainder.
“So right now we’ve sent everything we need up to the state,” mentioned Dale. “The state has sent it to FEMA, just waiting then to get reimbursed from FEMA so that they can reimburse us.”
“We’re continuing to stack those up, so to speak; work continues at this point in time,” says Capt. Kevin Sweeny, Deputy State Director of Emergency Administration. “But it’s getting to the point where we have to start looking at if any changes are going to need to be made.”
The state police are getting extra annoyed, and officers are apprehensive about any extra delays.
“Holds on these grants have the potential to disrupt services and payroll for personnel if it continues,” says Sweeney.
Ingham County officers inform me that if they will not have room within the finances to cowl these prices if they’re left holding the invoice.
“The percentage of money we get now is maybe 20% of what we had 10 years ago, so we’re continuing to do what we can with what we have,” mentioned Dale. “We always have a wish list, but nonetheless, we want to keep the county as best prepared as we can.”
The state police mentioned the approval course of for these grants used to take per week on the most, however they have not seen something accepted but in March. FEMA has a March 14th deadline to pay up from a federal courtroom, however there have but to be indicators of movement.
