Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers

04/08/2026

Another busy couple of days at the Capitol for AMEM! HF 2099 for EM funding was heard Tuesday afternoon and SF 4255 for essential employee designation was heard Wednesday afternoon. We want to thank St Louis, Wright, Hennepin, and Stearns County for recent testimony, as well as extend a sincere thank you for all of you that reached out to your legislators. We made progress this week on both bills - more work to come, so prepare for a call to action coming from AMEM soon!

03/26/2026

Members of our association met today with the MN House of Representatives for a hearing on HF 3691 to provide testimony in regard to emergency managers being considered essential employees. Thank you to everyone for all the work you have done to support these efforts. If you want to see the hearing you can follow the link below, our portion starts about 1 hour into the recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTkN9NE3Bx8

03/05/2026

AMEM 2026 Legislative Priorities.
1. Please share this with your local partners, direct leadership, and other contacts you have with elected leaders. Getting the word out is immensely important.
2. Reach out to your Senate and House members and discuss your challenges and successes, as well as this document if you have time. Take time to tell your story.

03/04/2026

Your Government Affairs Committee met today with legislators to continue sharing important messages about emergency management. We are here during AMC’s County Day at the Capitol. Stay tuned for updates!

** For added effect we met with one of the Senators at 1:00 and he commented on it being timely to meet while the sirens are being sounded!**

01/22/2026

This year resolve to be prepared.
-Make an emergency plan: choose a safe place to meet, learn evacuation routes, and establish an out-of-town contact.
-Have back-up power sources available to charge devices in case of a power outage.
-Sign up for alerts and warnings.
-Make a portable emergency kit for your car www.ready.gov/car

12/10/2025

Today AMEM hosted "Operation: Rubble to Resilience," a recovery tabletop exercise, at the 2025 Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Annual Conference in Bloomington. Pictured L to R: Patrick Waletzko (AMC Liaison), Dan Johnson-Powers (Professional Development Committee Chair), Kristen Tschida (Past President), and Blain Johnson (Government Affairs Committee Chair). Not Pictured: Eric Waage (Hennepin County).

11/26/2025

New Report on FEMA Reform Released

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) just unveiled a major report outlining recommendations to strengthen FEMA and bolster national preparedness. The report highlights what America’s fire and EMS agencies need to stay ready in an era of rising hazards and tight budgets.

Key priorities include:
• Elevating and expanding the U.S. Fire Administration
• Strengthening FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescue system
• Modernizing national fire data through NERIS
• Enhancing federal wildfire mitigation & post-fire programs
• Protecting and fully funding AFG & SAFER grants

CFSI emphasizes that America’s fire and EMS personnel are a critical national capability—protecting communities and the infrastructure our economy and security depend on. Any FEMA reforms must reinforce, not weaken, federal support for local responders.

📄 Read the full report here:

Washington, D.C., November 24, 2025 — The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), together with its National Advisory Committee (NAC), today released a comprehensive report titled FEMA Reform: Recommendations from America’s […]

11/19/2025

Several emergency management professionals from Minnesota are attending the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) conference this week in, as evident from the photos, Kentucky! Our AMEM Board has a representative present to identify potential speakers for our upcoming fall conference.

09/27/2025

AMEM’s President’s Award was presented to this year’s recipient Garry Johanson. Thank you for your years of service on our board.

09/27/2025

Riley Costello, from the City of Wabasha, is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Performance in Emergency Management Award. Congratulations!

09/26/2025

Please join us in recognizing Natasha Abrams, Katie Champion, and Tracey Warsett of the City of Minneapolis, as recipients of this year’s Emergency Management Best Practice Award!