Tennessee Awarded $10.6 Million Federal Grant to Strengthen Statewide Emergency Warning Systems

The State of Tennessee has been awarded $10,613,308 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Fiscal Year 2026 Next Generation Warning System Grant Program.

The federal award will support Tennessee’s Integrated Warning Modernization Project, a coordinated statewide effort to strengthen the state’s ability to deliver timely, accessible and actionable emergency information when traditional communication systems are congested, damaged or unavailable.

“These grants will help us invest in solutions that improve reliable access to life-saving information for Tennesseans, regardless of where they live or what communication systems are available to them,” said Commissioner Patrick C. Sheehan. “This investment will make warning systems more resilient and robust by expanding redundancy, improving accessibility and strengthening partnerships with local governments, public television organizations and critical facilities across the state.”

The approved projects will establish additional alert and warning pathways across Tennessee, including:

• A statewide broadcast relay and critical-facility datacasting capability;
• A fiber-interconnected Emergency Alert System network connecting six public television organizations and seven transmitters;
• Approximately 4,500 alert receivers for critical facilities, including public safety agencies, emergency management offices, schools, hospitals, utilities and other essential organizations;
• 11,137 Public Alert-certified NOAA Weather Radios;
• 4,000 strobe-light and pillow-shaker alert bundles for people who need accessible warning devices;
• Outdoor warning siren modernization and expansion in Gibson, Putnam, Rhea, Rutherford and Washington counties; and
• A multimodal rural alerting system in Washington County, including digital signs, satellite nodes and accessible and multilingual software.

Together, the projects will help reduce reliance on any single communication method and improve Tennessee’s ability to reach residents, visitors, critical facilities and public safety partners during severe weather, wildfires, hazardous materials incidents, infrastructure failures and other emergencies.

This grant will help Tennessee address documented gaps in coverage, accessibility and redundancy while creating a more coordinated warning enterprise. The approved capabilities are designed to continue delivering critical information when cellular, internet, satellite, broadcast or local infrastructure is disrupted.

The grant will be implemented over a three-year period from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029. TEMA will coordinate with participating counties, public television organizations and other partners to complete planning, procurement, installation, training, testing and performance evaluation.

The Next Generation Warning System Grant Program funds projects that identify capability gaps and implement innovative solutions to improve public alerting, emergency information delivery and the protection of critical infrastructure.