County emergency management director urges steady funding for EMA, highlights drone program and grant work

The Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency director briefed commissioners May 12 on the agencyrole in planning, mutual aid, public information and grants administration, stressing that some municipal grant funding depends on having adopted hazard mitigation plans.

"Much of our coordination involves the planning, resource coordination, mutual aid, public information, situational awareness across the county, recovery coordination, grants administration, and training in recovery," the EMA Director (EMA Director (S4)) told the board, describing the countyEMAwork that helps municipalities qualify for federal grant funding.

Commissioners asked whether municipalities want the services the county provides and whether towns can afford to take advantage of them. The EMA Director said the county surveyed local emergency managers and town managers and has been sharing results with municipal leaders. "So that information has been shared back and forth between the two," the director said, describing outreach and a regional SWOT analysis.

The EMA Director and commissioners highlighted a county-funded drone program as an example of shared capability: the program retains two drones and two licensed pilots, providing imagery and search capability that smaller towns typically lack. "Funding the money this year for the drone program was a wise investment because you're the only coordinator of the drones," a commissioner (Commissioner (S3)) said in support of maintaining the capability.

The director noted the agency also helps with damage assessments after incidents to support federal disaster declarations and works to counter misinformation following high-profile local incidents. Commissioners emphasized the need to align county offerings with municipal demand and to establish a baseline annual investment so the county can sustain shared services without surprising local taxpayers.

Staff and commissioners agreed to continue outreach, and the board encouraged the EMA office to define core service levels and cost expectations so municipalities can make informed decisions about participation.

The exchange underscored the countyEMArole as a regional coordinator rather than a substitute for local emergency managers, and commissioners asked staff to return with clearer cost and service specifications if needed.