Federal Grant Award Summary

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded Orange County Fire Authority a $1.40 million Project Grant on September 1, 2025, under the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System program (CFDA 97.025). This three-year award, with completion scheduled for August 31, 2028, funds critical management, training, equipment procurement, vehicle maintenance, and operational readiness activities for Orange County Fire Authority's designated National US&R Task Force located in Irvine, California.

The funding supports Orange County Fire Authority's specialized emergency response capabilities essential for national disaster response operations. Specifically, the grant finances personnel training, equipment acquisition, and vehicle maintenance necessary to maintain the task force's around-the-clock readiness to deploy following Presidentially declared major disasters or emergencies under the Stafford Act, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, hazardous materials incidents, and structural collapses. As one of 28 nationally designated urban search and rescue task forces, Orange County Fire Authority uses these federal resources to ensure the organization can effectively locate survivors and support state and local emergency responders during disaster recovery and community lifeline stabilization operations.