Subject:
Title
Emergency Management Intent to Apply to Firehouse Foundation for Quarter Two funding for use in the Critical Warning Notifications Program.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the Department Director of Emergency Management of the grant application and other pre-award required documentation for the Quarter Two (Q2) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant.
• An online application submission is required to receive the Q2 Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant.
• Application requests a grant award of up to $25,000.00 for Pinellas County Emergency Management.
• Funding will support a critical notification warning program.
• No match is required.
• A prior Board Action occurred on November 18, 2025, for the Quarter One (Q1) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant Notice of Application listed in the Receipt and File Report.
Body
Strategic Priorities:
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.2 Enhance community safety
Summary:
The approval and execution of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Grant application and other pre-award documents is a requirement to obtainment of award. The grant application opening date occurred January 8, 2026, and was limited to 400 applications for the quarter. PCEM compiled all required documentation and submitted the documentation on the day of opening.
An award would provide funding for the Critical Notification Warning Program to purchase NOAA Weather Alert Radios for distribution to the senior populations in financially stressed areas of the County.
One prior application for the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant was submitted and presented before the Board on November 18, 2025 in the Receipt and File Report.
Authorization to apply for grants is delegated to the County Administrator under Code 2-62(a)(1) County Administrator Approval Authority. Further delegation to Department Directors for improved grant efficiency occurred by Memorandum Authority on March 28, 2016.
Background/Explanation:
The Critical Notification Warning Program was funded previously by the competitive EMPG-ARPA C grant in 2021. The outcome of the program was highly successful. PCEM provided radios to many County residents who provided feedback post 2024 storm season explaining how the radios were valuable tools for resilience both during the storm(s) and immediately following when power outages remained for long periods of time.
Our goal to continue the program with funding from other sources continues as we apply for funding as it becomes available.
Fiscal Impact:
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant award is up to the amount of $25,000.00 is not included in the FY26 adopted budget and a budget amendment will be proposed if funding is awarded.
If approved by the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, grant funds of $25,000.00 will be provided with no grant match required. This grant was not anticipated during the development of the FY26 Adopted Budget; therefore, if approved, a budget amendment will be requested to recognize and appropriate the funds into the Emergency Management General Fund. Since this is not budgeted, no budget funds will be offset if the grant is awarded.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this grant application is granted under Code Section 2-62(a)(1). Additional authority was granted to the Department Director to sign a grant application by the County Administrator Memorandum dated March 28, 2016.
Staff Member Responsible:
Cathie Perkins, Director of Emergency Management
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Q2FirehouseAppQA
Q2PinellasBackgroundProjectBenefit.Final
Q2PinellasEMVehicleStmt.Final
2025.09.25MidlandRadioQuote-Pinellas
2026.01.09ITA-OMBApprvdID704
2026.01.07ITA-EMDirectorApprvd
2016.03DelegationAuthority.CoAdminToDirectorsITA
Code-2-62CountyAdministratorDelegationAuthority