Emergency Management Division Update — Washington Military Department (December 5, 2025)
Summary
Slides titled Emergency Management Division Update, presented by Robert Ezelle, Director of the Emergency Management Division, Washington Military Department, to the House Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee on December 5, 2025. The 2025 Year in Review slide lists a bomb cyclone major disaster declaration marked denied, with the appeal denied, and a fire season of approx 245K acres. Further slides cover FEMA reenvisioning, including a proposal by the Trump administration to restructure FEMA, and likely outcomes and impacts to Washington. Slides on the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup describe the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, with $625M appropriated, and a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Grant Program, with $500M appropriated.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Emergency Management Division Update — Washington Military Department (December 5, 2025).”
Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-12-05-a33521-d290155-wmd-emergency-management-division-update-413e6f785c/
, SHA-256 8082e9b1d0248ff0b03ef9444741b370be129727ec063fb22d4a05605d0cda76.Full text
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Emergency Management Division
Update
Presentation to the House Technology, Economic Development, and
Veterans Committee
December 5, 2025
Robert Ezelle
Director, Emergency Management Division
Washington Military Department
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
2025 Year in Review
• Bomb cyclone major disaster declaration
• Denied
• Appeal denied
• State Individual assistance implemented
• Fire Season
• Approx 245K acres
• 2 Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG), 27 Fire Mobilizations
• FEMA reenvisioning
• World Cup planning
• Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (cUAS)
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
FEMA Challenges
• Preparedness Grants
• EMPG (Emergency Management Performance Grant)
• HSGP (Homeland Security Grant Program)
• NSGP (Non-Profit Security grant Program)
• Mitigation Grants
• BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities)
• HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program)
• Disaster Grants
• PA (Public Assistance)
• IA (Individual Assistance)
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
FEMA Reenvisioning
• Trump administration proposes restructuring FEMA to speed up disaster
response and shift certain responsibilities to states and local jurisdictions.
• The FEMA Act of 2025—restructures FEMA as an independent,
Cabinet-level agency and streamline disaster mitigation, preparedness,
response, and recovery — accelerating aid and cutting redundant federal
bureaucracy.
• EO 14180—establishes the FEMA review council, charged with evaluating
FEMA’s disaster-response capabilities and recommending structural
reforms to improve FEMA’s impartiality, efficiency, and alignment with
national-resilience goals.
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Likely Outcomes
• Transfer of federal responsibilities to states and locals
• Repositioning FEMA as supplemental support vs primary responder
• Preparedness grants – restructuring and increased match requirements
• Disaster grants – simplification, higher cost shares, caps,
thresholds/indicators
• More restrictive eligibility rules
• Faster declarations and awards
• Block grants model
• Reduced federal oversight; more state accountability
• Mitigation – BRIC 2.0, HMGP may not necessarily be awarded for each
disaster
• Increased reliance on state capabilities and mutual aid
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Impacts to Washington
• Higher state and local financial burden
• Need for a funded state disaster assistance framework (IA/PA)
• Shift of grant management and audit risk to the state
• Uncertain mitigation funding (BRIC 2.0 / HMGP changes)
• Greater reliance on state capabilities and mutual aid
• Increased federal focus on state rainy day and reserve funds
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Overview
FWC26 Final Draw Washington’s Tournament Footprint
• December 5, 2026 – 0900 a.m. • 6 matches at Lumen Field in Seattle
• 48 national teams will be randomly selected based • 2 match day practice sites: Seattle University and
on tournament ranking to fill the 12 groups (A-L) University of Washington
• Official match schedule will be published on • 4 match day team hotels in Seattle
December 6
• 2 possible base camps: Renton (Sounders FC
• Teams will then “prioritize” their Base Camp Facility) and Spokane (Gonzaga University)
selection by January 9, tournament rankings will
• Associated team hotels: Hyatt Regency Seattle and
factor placement
Northern Quest Resort
• 1 fan festival at the Seattle Center
• 9 additional jurisdictions hosting Fan Zones across
7
the state
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Planning Entities: Roles & Responsibilities
FIFA White House Task Force Federal Coordinating Team
Global owner and governing body setting Provides strategic direction and oversight for Organizes and manages federal support
tournament rules, schedules, branding, and federal involvement across all US host cities. including security, critical infrastructure,
operational requirements. Maintains oversight of Allocates federal resources including funding, transportation, and emergency preparedness.
Fan Festivals and ensures safety, security, and personnel, and security assets while establishing Serves as direct communication channel to
accessibility standards across all host cities. national-level priorities and policy guidance. White House Task Force.
Washington State EMD King County City of Seattle
State-level lead providing statewide Supports City of Seattle and surrounding Host city authority Emergency Management
coordination and support. Steps in with jurisdictions hosting tournament-related as lead. Responsible for local operations,
resources and guidance when local needs activities. Provides regional resources and providing essential services like waste
exceed city or county capacity, ensuring coordination, ensuring consistent operations management, medical support, and public
consistent operations across Washington. outside Seattle city limits. safety around event sites.
Seattle FWC26
Primary local organizer coordinating match
venue operations, FIFA Fan Festival, practice
facilities, and base camps. Serves as direct
communication link to FIFA Headquarters. 8
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
FIFA World Cup Grant Program (FWCGP)
“Makes funds available to Host City Committee Task Forces through governor-designated State Administrative
Agencies (Washington Military Department), to carry out the extensive security activities required to protect
players, staff, attendees, venues, and critical infrastructure across the host cities events, strengthening them
against potential terrorist attacks leading up to and during the World Cup”
• $625M appropriated via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025)
• 9 eligible states: California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri (on behalf of Missouri
and Kansas), New Jersey (on behalf of New Jersey and New York), Pennsylvania, Texas, and
Washington
• Expected award range per NOFO: $32 – 74M
• SAAs (WMD) must pass through 100% of funds to the Host City Committee Task Force
(SeattleFWC26) to make subawards to local units of government
• SAA (EMD) deadline: December 5, 2025
• NOTE: FWCGP funds may be used to reimburse EMAC deployments only when the mission:
• Directly supports FIFA World Cup terrorism/security operations;
• Does not duplicate reimbursement from another federal source;
• Complies with FWCGP prohibitions and program requirements; and
• Follows the FWCGP pass-through structure (FEMA → SAA → Host City Committee Task Force → Subrecipients).
9
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Grant Program
• $500M appropriated via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025), $250M FY26 / $250 FY27
• FY26 eligibility is limited to SAAs in 11 hosting states that are directly or indirectly hosting
FWC26 and America250 national events.
• Minimum award: $3.325M with $105,050,000 available funding via competitive process
for California, Georgia, Missouri, Kansas, Massachusetts, Washington, and Pennsylvania
• SAAs (WMD) must pass through at least 97% of funds made available to local and tribal
governments
• SAA (EMD) deadline: December 5, 2025
• EMD is currently working with partners from State Patrol, Department of Corrections,
Seattle Police Department, King County Sherrif’s Office, and Spokane County Sheriff’s
Office to develop a statewide plan to provide C-UAS coverage from North Seattle to
SeaTac and Base Camps in King and Spokane Counties if chosen.
10
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Framework
• Published Oct 2025
• Establishes a statewide, scalable response structure for
illicit aerial systems (IAS) incidents
• Provides Hazard-Specific Guidance While Preserving the
All-Hazards Emergency Management Approach
• Aligns State-Level Capabilities with Federal, Tribal, Local
Partners and Responsibilities
• Enables a Flexible, Scalable Operational Environment for
Emerging and Evolving UAS Threats
• Lays a Foundation for Coordinated Integration of
Detection, Mitigation, and Multi-Agency Response
Capabilities
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Questions?
12
File and source
- File
- 2025-12-05_a33521_d290155_wmd-emergency-management-division-update.pdf
- Size
- 1,106,812 bytes
- SHA-256
- 8082e9b1d0248ff0b03ef9444741b370be129727ec063fb22d4a05605d0cda76
- Original
- No public link identified.