DENVER (KDVR) — As fires continue to burn across Colorado, the Colorado Emergency Management Association is voicing concerns about the future of emergency management funding across the Centennial State.
CEMA is a professional organization representing emergency management in Colorado, also serving as an advisory group to government bodies on emergency management issues. CEMA said the state’s emergency management funding is unclear after federal and state funding shifted.
Democratic officials say it all stems from HR1, or the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, that introduced $2.575 billion in mandatory new programs without increasing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s overall budget. CEMA said this raises “serious concerns about the impact on existing emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation programs.”
“HR1 authorizes the reallocation of existing FEMA funds to support the newly mandated programs,” CEMA said in a press release.
- $500 million to assist state and local authorities in detecting, identifying, tracking, or monitoring unmanned aircraft systems
- $625 million for security, planning, and other costs related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
- $1 billion for security, planning, and other costs related to the 2028 Olympics
- $450 million for the Operation Stonegarden grant program, aimed at improving border security
Trump has taken steps to change FEMA’s approach to disaster response and recovery, including threatening to eliminate or dramatically reduce FEMA’s size and scope, even as recently as June. He said in statements in the Oval Office that FEMA will “give out less money” to states recovering from disasters.
That’s been seen in a memo leaked from inside the Trump administration, with a memo from acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton that would reduce how many emergency declarations the president approves and the amount of federal funds sent to cities and states impacted by natural disasters, such as the ongoing wildfires in Colorado.
Currently, there are major disaster declarations in New Mexico, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas, according to FEMA’s website.
So far in 2025, three Colorado fires have been approved for Fire Management Assistance Grant funds. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75% of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant, but grants will not be provided to assist individual homeowners, businesses or other infrastructure damage.
CEMA said “vital grants” are being threatened, including grants that support:
- Homeland security and anti-terrorism efforts
- Disaster mitigation and preparedness
- Salaries for emergency managers across Colorado
The group said it worries that these changes would leave Colorado with not enough funding to meet the legal and operational requirements that support public safety.
“Compounding the issue, several current FEMA grants include Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requirements that may conflict with Colorado state law—particularly in areas related to procurement procedures and law enforcement authority,” CEMA wrote. “These inconsistencies create legal uncertainties and operational challenges for local agencies.”
The group noted that the Colorado legislature will be convened for a special session beginning Thursday, but said that FEMA funding issues were not included in the session’s scope.
“Emergency Managers’ jobs don’t stop when funding uncertainties loom,” CEMA stated. “With the funding landscape in flux and disasters occurring more frequently, the responsibility now falls on the state to determine how to support critical emergency management services.”
CEMA is calling on the governor and the Department of Homeland Security to solve the funding shortfall.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
