With National Preparedness Month approaching, Senator Shawn Gumataotao is calling for a complete overhaul of Guam’s emergency management system. His proposal would dismantle the Office of Civil Defense and shift responsibilities across several agencies.

Abuse of overtime, misdirection of funding sources, and repeated noncompliance with FEMA guidelines and regulations — these were among the findings that prompted the freshman policymaker to introduce Bill 179, the Guam Emergency Management Modernization Act of 2025. He says the current civil defense law, written nearly 75 years ago has “run its course” and is in need of an evolution.

“At this point," he stated, "this is a good time for us to retool how we – and other states and territories – respond to a national change in emergency management."

The measure would abolish the Office of Civil Defense and shift responsibilities across multiple agencies --  replacing OCD with a Bureau of Emergency Management under the Guam Fire Department. “They do use their money pretty okay, they’re not too bad. They have great resources and a team that has been able to use E-911 monies, [as well as] other federal dollars to bear upon their operations," Gumataotao explained.

In addition, hazard mitigation would move to the Department of Public Works, while the Governor’s Office would continue handling recovery efforts. But for Gumataotao, accountability is central to the bill.

“We’ve been asking for that and if there is no push, well this might be a push for another agency to do so," he said.

Communications director for the Office of the Governor, Krystal Paco-San Agustin, however, says while reform is needed Bill 179 fragments a system that must remain united in times of crisis. She also noted that Fire Chief Daren Burrier was not consulted before the bill was introduced. 

Gumataotao counters that delays and noncompliance have already cost Guam federal dollars, and that a new structure is necessary to restore federal confidence.

He challenged, “This is not something that happened overnight. We’ve seen a loss in fiscal years 2019, 2020 – now we could to lose FY 2021 dollars from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Where does it end?”

Modeled after Florida’s approach, his plan includes a dedicated emergency management fund to protect federal disaster aid and ensure resources go where they’re needed most, saying,  “When an organization or a system is weak and they can’t be ready, then that exposes us.”

“I think this community has given plenty of chances. We are a great place of second chances, but in the case of what we see today in our emergency management system, it is time for a systemic change.”

As Guam awaits a public hearing on the measure, at the center of this debate is a simple question: will splitting responsibilities strengthen Guam’s disaster response, or leave the island more vulnerable when the