*Photo Source: Associated Press*
APTOPIX California Wildfire Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, California, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.

As the 2024 presidential election brings forth a second Trump Administration, California is developing comprehensive contingency plans to address potential shifts in federal disaster response funding, with a particular focus on Federal Emergency Management Agency support.

The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 policy roadmap suggests dramatically reducing federal disaster relief coverage. While the Trump campaign has publicly distanced itself from Project 2025, the proposal would reduce federal disaster cost coverage from 75% to potentially as low as 25%.

President-elect Donald Trump has previously made pointed statements about potentially withholding funding, including a comment at Coachella stating, “We're going to take care of your water situation, force it down his throat, and we'll say: ‘Gavin, if you don't do it, we're not giving any of that fire money that we send you all the time for all the fire, forest fires that you have.’”

Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA, provides financial support for disaster response, covering at least 75% of major disaster costs. Doug Nakama, an operations specialist at FEMA, offered an explanation of the grant's importance: “When a small fire district is paying $100,000 for personnel to put out a fire, the Fire Management Assistance Grant becomes incredibly important. The federal government would pay 75% of that bill, leaving only 25% for local government to cover.” The Fire Management Assistance Grant is a subset of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Nakama detailed the challenges of firefighting in California: “California firefighters get some of the best training probably in the world. We see fires pop up and move very, very fast with heavy winds. Our costs include not just salaries, but the best equipment in the country—from fire engines to bulldozers to incredibly expensive aircraft used to drop retardant and water.”

Governor Gavin Newsom is taking action to prepare for potential funding cuts. He has called for a special legislative session on Dec. 2 in order to address potential changes coming from the new administration. In this session, they plan to discuss a new state-funded disaster response account and prepare legal challenges through the California Department of Justice.

Maria Alvarez, a chief of staff for a California assembly member, provided insight into the state's strategy: “The governor is really trying to get ahead of all of this. I think California is in a better position to deal with some of the stuff that Trump is going to throw at California because he is who he is—vengeful, not liking the fact that we're a blue state.”

The potential funding cuts come at a difficult time. Alvarez noted the state's current budget constraints: “We are in a budget deficit. Any federal fund pullback means the state has to backfill those funds. We'd need to figure out not just the money, but the entire administrative logistics of getting relief to residents.”

Sgt. Tim Davis from CAL FIRE offered another perspective: “Most Californians just want to know that when they call for help, help is coming. I don't think issues between the federal and state government will significantly impact our ability to respond to emergencies.”