Congress created the Emergency Management Performance Grant in the mid-1990 to give state and local governments more flexibility and control over their local emergency management needs. The grants are unique in that they provide a 50% federal match in funding to states that may be used for several purposes, including hiring local personnel to build a national emergency management capacity. 

Since the Program’s institution however, its funding has not been maximized. Arkansas’s state and local emergency management officials assured me that with only a slight increase in funding, they can do so much more to expand programs and services to protect our local communities.   

While at this time there is not enough funding for first responders, I am proud of the successes we have had in bringing home funding to help our police officers and firefighters get the resources they need to do their jobs and protect our communities. For example, in the past year I have helped bring home approximately $3.8 million in aid for our local fire departments through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This program provides a funding source to many of our rural volunteer fire departments in my congressional district, that would not be able to get supplies they need such as turnouts and fire trucks.  

There is no question that supplying our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan with the proper tools they need to complete their mission and return home quickly and safely to their families is a top priority, and I will always support legislation that gives them everything they need. But in the weeks and months ahead as Congress continues to debate homeland security funding, it is critical that we be mindful of the fact that local and rural communities play a vital role in protecting our communities here at home. 

Our nation has focused heavily on providing aid to potential terrorist targets such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., but we must be mindful that rural America is still vulnerable. As a Member of Congress who understands the needs of our rural communities, rest assured I will do all I can to give our local communities the tools they need to protect our families here at home.