The landscape of emergency management in Louisiana might be changing, but Southwest Louisiana can still expect aid in the case of disaster.

The annual Louisiana Emergency Management Conference (LEMC) opening remarks were given Tuesday morning at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino. Emergency response professionals from across the state will participate in panels, discussions and trainings over the next few days.

During the opening remarks, the future of FEMA and the restructuring of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) were hot topics.

FEMA

Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson doesn’t have all the answers about the future of FEMA, but he guaranteed FEMA’s commitment to support localized emergency response operations.

This message comes near the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and just 25 days before the 2025 Hurricane Season begins. Hurricane Katrina prompted major FEMA reforms, transforming the agency’s role in national emergency response efforts.

“I think we’re in a similar place today, maybe a little bit of a reset,” he noted. “Has the federal government taken on too much of a role? Does some of that need to go back to local, state and tribal policy?”

FEMA is undergoing significant restructuring and policy shifts that include staff reductions and a shift of emergency management responsibility to the states. And in March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing FEMA to reduce its role in disaster preparedness in response to an effort to reduce government spending.

These broad changes are accompanied by the cancellation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. BRIC was established by Congress during President Donald Trump’s first presidency through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. The program’s cancellation will keep about $3 billion of hazard mitigation obligated funding in the Disaster Relief Fund, and all undistributed funding from 2020 to 2023 must be returned.

Louisiana had been marked for $196 million in funding for 34 selected projects, according to the Urban Institute, a DC-based nonprofit research organization.

Discussions for a “more efficient replacement” have begun, Robinson said.

Additionally, 2025 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) funding, a program bipartisanly established in 1994, has been cancelled. Between 2020 and 2024, Louisiana received the most assistance, with 114 selected applications totalling $511 million that were accepted.

“While as an agency we are getting smaller … we certainly plan to be there with you along the way,” Robinson said.

There are FEMA grant awards that are still being obligated: $6 million for parish schools, $15 million for debris removal, $7.8 million for school repairs and $22 million for emergency management protective measures.

GOHSEP Restructure

GOHSEP is transitioning to operate under the Louisiana National Guard. In a March GHOSEP release, Gov. Jeff Landry said this move was identified as an “opportunity to save millions by bringing GOHSEP under the National Guard” that aligns with his “ belief in the importance of relying more on our National Guard to strengthen our state’s resilience.”

Brig. Gen. Jason Mahfouz is the interim director of GOHSEP and is in charge of day-to-day operations. Adjunct General of Louisiana Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, the Commanding General of the La. Army National Guard and La. Air National Guard, will provide transition oversight.

They are about halfway through the transition period. While this includes reviewing the agency, the “core components of GOHSEP are not changing, Friloux said.

“Our mission remains the same. Save lives, protect property and maintain control,” he said.