The Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky region has purchased millions of dollars worth of equipment with grants from Homeland Security.
That grant money was also used to maintain the gear.
Now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) won't allow their grants to be used for upkeep.
That leaves local governments on the hook for expenses they can ill afford.
Everything from radiation detectors to armored transports need maintenance, says Ed Dadosky, Cincinnati District Fire Chief.
"[If] you don't keep it in proper working order," he says. "they're little better than doorstops."
Dadosky adds that, "With the new rule, you wouldn't be able to replace a sensor, you'd have to go and spend $10,000 to buy a new monitor."
The federal government says they will still pay for that.
Officials with cash-strapped Hamilton County are dumbfounded.
"That doesn't make any sense," says Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune. "That's irresponsible, that's wasteful. That's not at all fiscally responsible from any barometer."
Congressman Steve Driehaus is co-sponsoring a bill to require FEMA to revert back to its original policy.
