Crime & Public Safety.
Bucks County and other areas in Pennsylvania face a threat to emergency response capabilities after the federal government abruptly revoked millions in homeland security grants, according to officials.
Late last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro to join a multi-state lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and David Richardson, the official acting in the role the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA).
The reversal in funding of the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and cuts and changes will jeopardize preparedness efforts in counties across the commonwealth, local officials said.
“Preparedness grants like those we receive through the Homeland Security Grant Program provide critical support to Bucks County’s disaster response and preparedness effort,” said Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Bob Harvie, a Democrat. “Rescinding this lifeline without warning or explanation will significantly hinder our ability to respond to natural, manmade or technological disasters in the future. These shortsighted clawbacks put Bucks County residents at risk.
The immediate impact is a loss of approximately $18 million in Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding for the Philadelphia region, which includes Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. The money funds the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force, which coordinates the region’s efforts to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and major emergencies.
The grants are essential for local emergency offices to purchase response equipment, vehicles, and protective gear for staff, as well as to conduct specialized training for first responders in incident management and threat detection, according to local and state officials.
Shapiro stressed that the cuts pose a particular danger as Pennsylvania prepares to host a series of major events in 2026, including the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration in Philadelphia, the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
“The Trump Administration is cutting funding for homeland security initiatives that help us prevent acts of terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and major emergencies,” Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement. “To do this just as our law enforcement officers and first responders are preparing for major events in Pennsylvania in 2026… is completely irresponsible.
The lawsuit, which includes a dozen states and Washington D.C. and is led by Illinois, also challenges new federal requirements and a reduction in the time states have to spend the grant money.
The states said new federal rules would cut the spending window for grants from three years to just one year. The change, state officials argue, makes strategic, long-term investments in preparedness difficult and could deny county emergency offices the funds needed to cover critical costs they have already incurred.
In addition, the states allege the administration has frozen access to the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) until states can provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with a population estimate that excludes individuals removed from the U.S. under federal immigration law. State officials said they cannot develop this estimate because they lack access to the necessary federal data. The lack of this grant could cost counties and Pittsburgh an additional $4.2 million in reimbursement for emergency management personnel salaries.
Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), confirmed the cuts will have consequences across all 67 counties.
The PEMA director said the cuts will limit essential training, reduce the number of qualified personnel for response, and undermine crucial disaster communications and mutual aid agreements.
“These funds make sure our personnel have the training and equipment to detect threats early and respond effectively — protecting lives and property across the commonwealth,” Padfield said.
