Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
01/29/2026 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Alaska State Emergency Operations Center Update | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
January 29, 2026
8:03 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Co-Chair
Representative Donna Mears, Co-Chair
Representative Carolyn Hall
Representative Ky Holland
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Steve Clair
Representative Garret Nelson
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Representative Maxine Dibert, Chair
Representative Ashley Carrick
Representative Robyn Niayuq Frier
Representative Andi Story
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Jubilee Underwood
MEMBERS ABSENT
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
All members present
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Representative Justin Ruffridge
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
UPDATE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
BRYAN FISHER, Director
Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave the Alaska State Emergency Operations
Center Update presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:03 AM
CHAIR DIBERT called the joint meeting of the House Community and
Regional Affairs Standing Committee and the House Special
Committee on Tribal Affairs to order at 8:03 a.m.
Representatives Frier, Shwanke, Underwood, and Dibert, and
Representatives Hall, Holland, Prax, St. Clair, G. Nelson,
Himschoot, and Mears. Representative Carrick and Story arrived
as the meeting was in progress.
[Chair Dibert passed the gavel to Co-Chair Mears.]
^PRESENTATION(S): Alaska State Emergency Operations Center
Update
PRESENTATION(S): Alaska State Emergency Operations Center
Update
8:05:05 AM
CO-CHAIR MEARS announced that the only order of business would
be the Alaska State Emergency Operations Center Update
presentation.
8:05:51 AM
BRYAN FISHER, Director, Division of Homeland Security &
Emergency Management, Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
(DMVA), gave introductory remarks the Alaska State Emergency
Operations Center's (SEOC) response to the multiple storms that
hit the West Coast and Typhoon Halong, which is the biggest
disaster he's experienced in his career. He directed attention
to a PowerPoint presentation, titled "Alaska State Emergency
Operations Center (SEOC) Update" [hard copy included in the
committee file]. He provided a breakdown of the department's
organization on slide 2 and the two components of the agency's
operations on slide 3: the SEOC, which is the central
coordination for all state emergency management and the primary
conduit to Federal agencies; and response staff, who assist with
initial damage assessment and help communities draft local
disaster declaration requests for state assistance, as well as
coordinate state and federal agencies. He outlined the response
process, as illustrated by the graphic on slide 4, reporting
that in 2025, SEOC responded to approximately 130 incidents, but
not all were declared a state disaster. On average, there is
one state disaster declared per month, totaling about 12-13 per
year. The remaining incidents often involve connecting local
jurisdictions with a state agency or non-governmental
organization (NGO), such as the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC), Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
(ANTHC), and local health corporations. In the winter, many
incidents are related to local utility disruptions. The
majority of incidents that SEOC responds to do not require a
state disaster declaration or legislative request for funding.
He noted that the governor's supplemental budget includes $40
million for the Disaster Relief Fund, which funds all SEOC
activities, as well as repair/restoration to state declared
disasters. The proposed budget [for fiscal year 2027 (FY 27)]
includes $24 million in unrestricted general funds (UGF). In
response to a question from Representative Mears, he shared
additional examples of incidents that do not elevate to a state
declared disaster, such as utility disruptions, fuel shortages,
assistance with drinking water programs, and hiccups with
generators and power plants. In southeast, there's been an
increased frequency of landslides, which are often handled
locally and have not impacted homes or built infrastructure. He
characterized his agency as the "state rolodex" for incidents
that do not rise to the level of a state declared disaster, as
they can connect and coordinate communities with the appropriate
resources.
8:18:28 AM
MR. FISHER, in response to a question from Chair Dibert about
Tribal community prevention and education, stated that they
offer rural resilience workshops - two in the past two years -
to help communities understand what to do when disaster strikes.
They also help with small community emergency response plans to
help with preparedness, which has shown to be impactful,
especially in rural Alaska.
8:21:42 AM
MR. FISHER in response to a series of committee questions, said
communities in unorganized boroughs require a local level of
emergency management. He added that SEOC works with Tribal
governments or community councils for unincorporated areas. He
commended the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection,
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), making their expertise in
incident command and emergency response available to SEOC to
support areas that lack local governance. He noted that his
agency is composed of 64 positions, of which 55 are filled, so
he relies on other state agency and partners to force multiply.
He explained that there are communities referred to as "frequent
flyers" that have similar issues on an annual basis - often
utility related. Frequent conversations are had with statewide
agencies to discuss the root cause of these issues, which are
typically related to training, workforce development, and
financial management of utilities. He added that school
districts are often the real heroes in these situations because
they loan fuel and offer their facilities as shelter. He said
many incidents are preventable with good maintenance, planning,
and preparedness practices. The resilience workshops offer
practical information on infrastructure, schools, Tribal
facilities, and utilities, and their preparedness and resiliency
ability. Mr. Fisher agreed that disasters start and end with
local government. With regard to wildfire preparedness, the
Division of Forestry and Fire Protection through their Firewise
program encourages folks to make defensible space around their
homes. He noted that SEOC has similar programs for community
emergency response teams that allow for individual/family
preparedness activities to be conducted. He said if people can
take care of themselves, it's one less person for the state to
worry about. He reported that there has been a slow erosion of
federal funding and recalled the Citizen Core Program, which
targeted individual, family, and neighborhood resiliency, and
became unfunded around 2010.
8:33:04 AM
MR. FISHER, in response to further committee questions, agreed
that schools are the hub when disaster strikes, especially in
rural areas, as most were built with resiliency in mind. He
named Kipnuk and Kwigillingok as two communities that were built
to a higher elevation to survive flood water and maintain power,
heat, and service until evacuations were organized. He
explained that when a state or federal disaster is declared,
funding school districts can be eligible for reimbursement
through the state disaster program. Usage fees are also paid
for excessive use and damages are reimbursable by the state or
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). When the governor
declares a state disaster, 100 percent of the eligible costs are
funded by the state and repairs and restoration of public,
Tribal, and home infrastructure are reimbursable up to the
statutory limit. If costs exceed the state's capacity, there is
a 25/75 percent cost share with FEMA reimbursing the 75 percent
of eligible expenses. He noted that Alaska receives an
unusually high amount of declared disasters based on the
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act resulting
in additional federal funding to support the restoration and
rebuilding of communities. He emphasized that he governor must
declare a disaster to access the Disaster Relief Fund. Often,
local communities have reserves or contingency funds that can be
accessed by declaring a local disaster. He shared the example
of frozen pipes in Northwest Arctic Borough, which will be
repaired via contingency funds to address utility disruption.
8:41:56 AM
MR. FISHER resumed the presentation on slide 5 and detailed the
two programs that are utilized when a disaster is declared: the
Public Assistance program, which offers grants to repair public
infrastructure and essential utilities, and the Individual
Assistance program, which offers grants to repair/replace
private property. He explained that the [Stafford Act]
stipulates a financial limitation for grants to repair or
replace private property. The financial cap is half the federal
amount so this year, FEMA can provide $44,800 per homeowners and
an additional $44,800 for essential personal property and
subsistence equipment loss, and SEOC can provide half of that at
$22,400 when a state disaster is declared. Alaska is the only
state in the nation that offers a program like this, as every
other state relies on homeowner insurance or FEMA. There is
also a temporary housing program that provides free months of
rental assistance for temporary relocation, and for homeowners
that lose their primary residence, funding for up to 18 months
at a rental until the home is repaired or replaced. In response
to a series of committee questions, he clarified that the
program is available to everyone, but insurance is paid out
first. However, SEOC will pay the deductible and anything above
the policy limits for residential homes, as well as municipal or
Tribal infrastructure that is insured. He acknowledged that
severity matters and confirmed that the damage must be
widespread and caused by a weather event, for example. When the
program is invoked, SEOC is filling in the gaps or providing the
only source of support for homeowners without home insurance.
He said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's
(HUD) fair market rate is used [when providing emergency rental
housing] on a studio or 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom homes. He added
that his agency has the ability to surpass HUD's fair market
rate up to 125 percent depending on market conditions.
8:50:57 AM
MR. FISHER continued to slide 6, which detailed the public
assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) project
eligibility. He explained that when the governor authorizes a
disaster, immediate up-front funding from the Disaster Relief
Fund can be accessed up to $1 million. Anything above $1
million requires legislative approval. Although the process may
seem slow, eligibility must be verified via the FEMA Public
Assistance Policy Program Guide to stay consistent with federal
regulation before reimbursement is made. He said entities are
expected to pay costs upfront to restore infrastructure, and the
documentation threshold for reimbursement is heavy to ensure
that eligibility is met, per Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee and the U.S. Office of the Inspector General's (OIG)
standards. He emphasized that due diligence cannot be waived.
ON slide 7, he summarized details of Individual Assistance
Program, per 6 AAC 94, reiterating that the program must be
activated by the governor, and it is not invoked regularly.
8:55:08 AM
MR. FISHER described the photos on slides 8-16, which depicted
scenes from the annual River Watch Program; Southeast flooding
and landslides; large weather events, like wildfires, snowfall,
volcanos, and earthquakes, and Typhoon Halong. He speculated
that the impact of atmospheric rivers is a trend that will not
be going away anytime soon, so preparation is necessary. He
discussed the Mendenhall Glacier flood event in Juneau, which
unlike typical disasters, has become predictable and will
continue to grow each time the basin releases. He applauded the
relationship between CBJ and the Central Council of Tlingit &
Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, characterizing the two entities
as "tied at the hip" with regard to disaster response. He
explained that this partnership is one that he models to other
Tribal entities around the state when exemplifying disaster
preparedness, response, and recovery between neighbors. In
response to a series of questions, he agreed that weather events
across the nation tend to be more severe due to the atmospheric
rivers. To some degree, more people are living closer to
dangerous areas and there's a problem with aging infrastructure
in Alaska, which makes them more vulnerable even if the incident
isn't as severe. He noted that the National Weather Service
(NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
are becoming more reliable in their ability to forecast big
weather events and their impact. He said SEOC continues to rely
on scientists and weather services to model predictability,
adding that NWS has committed to embedding a full-time weather
person at SEOC to provide this service.
9:09:13 AM
MR. FISHER in response to a series of committee questions,
explained that SEOC works with the Division of Community &
regional Affairs (DCRA) on long-term community development
plans. There is also a complementary plan for communities
called the Hazard Mitigation Plan that addresses specific
community concerns, that aligns with the Division of Forestry
and Fire Protection's community wildfire protection plans, which
address things like fuel reduction for the wildfire threat, and
are complementary with a long-term development plan. There is
no statewide hazard mitigation program, however, and the federal
funding through FEMA for this type of planning is gone with the
programs, like the pre-disaster program called Building
Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, being terminated last
spring. He noted that President Trump denied a request from
Governor Dunleavy for the Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program in response to Typhoon Halong. Consequently, there is
no federal mitigation funding available at present for CY 25 and
CY 26. He relayed that he's heard of a new mitigation program,
but it's unclear what federal emergency management will look
like in the future, especially as FEMA has been under intense
scrutiny with the creation of a review council. He said
communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance
Program have fairly good data on flooding. FEMA, via DCRA,
manages a program called Risk MAP, which provides mapping to
identify the extent of potential storm surges or flood heights,
but this high fidelity is not available for every community.
Referring to slide 11, he noted that there was no base flood
elevation data for Kipnuk or Kwigillingok because they are not
part of the National Flood Insurance Program, so FEMA is on site
now attempting to determine this data to prepare for future
coastal storm surge disasters. He reiterated that the local
hazard mitigation plans offer strategies to mitigate against
threats and hazards, but often it's at great expense to relocate
infrastructure.
9:18:55 AM
MR. FISHER, in response to committee questions, clarified that
preparedness and response planning with local jurisdictions asks
that communities be ready to take care of themselves for the
first 24 of 96 hours because it takes time to mobilize
resources. He opined that communities are increasingly more
prepared and incident command systems are becoming more common
within communities. He noted that there are very few fatalities
resulting from Alaska disasters, which is a direct result and
testament to the capabilities of local and Tribal responses. He
clarified that it's noy SEOC's job to regulate fuel tanks;
nonetheless, there are known mechanism to protect bulk fuel tank
farms, which are often built with dual purpose: to protect from
damage, and to contain potential releases. So by in large, bulk
fuel storage in communities are built with resilience and
mitigation in mind, especially those that have been refurbished.
He added that the U.S. Coast Guard has funded a program that
offers assistance and analyses on how to better protect bulk
fuel storage, and there are opportunities to add resilience and
rebuild stronger, higher, and safer, from a myriad of agencies.
He stated that subsistence camps are eligible for reimbursement
under both FEMA and state Individual Assistance Programs;
however, the cabin structure itself - the real property - is
only eligible for reimbursement from the state up to $22,400,
but not from FEMA. Alternatively, equipment, such as boats,
fishing, tackle, guns, and other subsistence equipment is
eligible. Mr. Fisher confirmed that he intends to retire this
fall after 32 years of service. He said his team offers a great
workplace culture and tends to retain its employees. He did not
know who would be replacing him upon retirement.
9:36:16 AM
MR. FISHER discussed the remnant of Typhoon Halong and the West
Coast storm disaster in the Northwest Arctic Borough - referred
to DR disaster 4893 by the federal government. He applauded the
heroic efforts of members of the Alaska National Guard and U.S.
Coast Guard who effected 51 rescues as homes were floating away
in these communities, some with people inside. He recalled his
experience flying into Kipnuk in November and the devastating
impact of the storm.
9:39:18 AM
MR. FISHER in response to additional committee questions, noted
that Typhoon Halong was particularly tricky because the storm
surge was predicted to land somewhere else. He said it's SEOC's
policy to support evacuations and preemptive evacuations of
medically fragile people, but wholesale evacuation of entire
communities are uncommon. Better fidelity on Halong's path and
its impact would have allowed SEOC to help support the
evacuation sooner. He reiterated that often, it's on the
communities themselves to fund preemptive evacuation until a
disaster is declared, so there is a cost implication. He
offered to follow up on the policies in other states.
9:46:18 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the joint
House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee and
House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs meeting was adjourned
at 9:46 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HCRA and HTRB Joint Hearing DMVA Presentation 1.29.2026.pdf |
HCRA 1/29/2026 8:00:00 AM |
Alaska State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Update Presentation |