FEMA funding delayed, ‘no indication’ grants coming

Emergency Management Director Jeff King and Chief of Operations Filberto Ontiveros presented updates on the public safety radio system during the morning session. King said they are experiencing interference at the Stacker Butte unit that is affecting three sites: Diamond Gap, Flat Top, and Indian Hill. A source for said interference has yet to be found.

“Stacker is the hub for the whole west end of the county and we have to figure out where this interference is coming from and stop it or avoid it in some way, or our radio system from Wishram west will cease to function properly on all channels — it’s not just one channel,” King said.

Additionally, a previously reported issue with the County Ops channel at the Kaser site is still under investigation, and three generators have experienced failures in the past two weeks, with one scheduled for replacement, he said.

Further, the county has not received a notice of grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — which usually would have happened by now — and there is no indication grants are coming, he said. The Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) and the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) “sustains and supports” Klickitat County’s Emergency Management Program. The county generally receives a minimum of $18,000 due to its size, though funding usually comes in between $25,000-$30,000, he said.

Even if things do get settled, King added, funding could be delayed until 2026.

Commissioners discussed the recent flash floods in Texas and felt sirens are more effective than cellphone alerts, especially in recreational areas and/or in the middle of the night. Both King and Ontiveros said they have started conversations with area fire districts regarding old siren systems and the possibility of getting them back into service. Such a system would be more relevant to fire than flash floods, it was noted, though flooding does happen here, too.

One public commenter during the afternoon board meeting asked about the current state of emergency within Klickitat County and how residents can become involved with local emergency planning. Ihrig said there is no state of emergency at this time; Commissioner Todd Andrews encouraged residents to sign up for emergency notifications and include personal information, such as any pets and the color of your vehicle. He also reiterated the possible use of a siren system.

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Columbia Gorge Documenters are powered by Uplift Local. Read the full meeting notes by Documenter Amy Spring at columbia-gorge.documenters.org.