The West Virginia Emergency Management Division works with two different types of grants: Preparedness Grants and Recovery Grants.
Preparedness Grants
The Preparedness Grants Section is responsible for administering multiple grants which the agency receives from various federal agencies including FEMA, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. These grants are used by state and local jurisdictions to maintain an effective emergency management program and to build and sustain the necessary capabilities to allow the state to prevent, respond to, and recover from various threats and hazards.
Grant programs administered by WVEMD include:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
- HSGP is designed to enhance the capability to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks.
- Eligibility: State, local, and tribal organizations
Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)
- EMPG supports emergency management needs through investments in planning, training, and exercise activities.
- Eligibility: Local emergency management agencies
Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
- NSGP provides federal funding for physical security enhancements and other security-related activities to nonprofit organizations that are at a risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack.
- Eligibility: Organizations that meet the criteria as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501 (a)
- FY 26 NSGP is currently accepting applications until July 17th, 2026:
State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)
- SLCGP strengthens cybersecurity practices and resilience of state, local, and tribal organizations.
- Eligibility: State, local, and tribal organizations and public educational institutions
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant (HMEP)
- HMEP provides funding for planning and training activities related to HAZMAT incidents in commercial transportation.
- Eligibility: Local government agencies (beneficiaries can be other entities)
Pipeline Emergency Response Grant (PERG)
- PERG encourages a comprehensive approach to emergency planning and training by addressing the unique challenges of responding to pipeline emergencies.
- Eligibility: State, local, tribal organizations
Preparedness Grants also provide ongoing education and assistance through the National Flood Insurance Program to lower communityflood insurance rates and educate local and government officials on programs.
Recovery Grants
To facilitate effective and efficient local recovery, the Recovery Grants Section utilizes the Individual Assistance (IA) Grant Program, Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program, and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Recovery Grants personnel currently manage open disaster declarations from 2015-2021 with the assistance of FEMA Region III. The open disasters total nearly 3,000 projects and almost $700 million in disaster funding collectively.
Long-term recovery is especially important during the early weeks after a major disaster or catastrophic incident when many local, state, and insular-area governments are overwhelmed with the response and short-term recovery efforts. WVEMD participates in and supports recovery planning, capacity building and mitigation efforts by providing training, technical guidance or other assistance as requested and needed.
The Public Assistance (PA) grant program provides federal assistance to government organizations and certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations following a Presidential disaster declaration. PA provides grants to state and local governments, and certain types of PNP organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
Through the program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities, and the facilities of certain PNP organizations. The PA program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by aiding for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.
The federal share of assistance is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The Recipient (usually the state) determines how the non-federal share (up to 25 percent) is split with the subrecipients (eligible applicants).