How do we apply for Public Assistance?- Why do we need a consultant to assist us with FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) process?
- How do we know if our organization qualifies for funding in a federally declared disaster?
- How are determinations made on what is funded and what is not?
- Will FEMA pay to restore our facilities to their pre-disaster state?
- What do we need to be doing during and immediately following a disaster in order to insure the best funding outcome?
- In your opinion, do you think that most organizations that qualify for FEMA funding after a federally declared disaster understand what projects and what aspects of their recovery efforts will actually be funded?
- Will FEMA reimburse any of our administrative costs for providing required information?
- What knowledge, expertise and abilities should a consultant to government and non-profit organizations have in order to help with the recovery process in a federally declared disaster?
- If FEMA grants our organization funding, is there any chance that it could be taken away at a later date? Why? Are there certain types of projects that are most at risk of losing funding?
- Who are Disaster Scope’s clients?
- What is Preparedness / Response Planning?
- What is hazard mitigation?
- What is Mitigation Planning?
- What is Recovery Planning
- What is Public Assistance?
- What is Resiliance?
How do we apply for Public Assistance?
Applicants must complete and submit a Request for Public Assistance form (FEMA Form 90-49) to the State within 30 days following the designation of the area in which the damage is located. In addition, a List of Projects is required describing the disaster damage, locations and estimated repair costs.
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Why do we need a consultant to assist us with FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) process?
You may not need a consultant. Depending on your organization’s previous experience with federally declared disasters and the ability to support the additional workload, your organization may be able to navigate FEMA’s Public Assistance system without outside help. Ascertain the general extent of damage and your organization’s capacity to generate specific damage assessments for those projects that qualify under federal regulations. Damage assessment is the responsibility of your organization and required by FEMA in order for Project Worksheets to be completed by their personnel. Also, you should consider how much funding your organization is likely to qualify for given the specific type of damage and particular reimbursable emergency costs. In some cases, consultant fees and expenses could exceed the federal funds your organization qualifies to receive – a good thing to talk over with a prospective consultant.
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How do we know if our organization qualifies for funding in a federally declared disaster?
In general, if your organization is a part of state or local government, you qualify. In addition, non-profits that are considered essential to infrastructure also qualify, such as hospitals, universities and schools.
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How are determinations made on what is funded and what is not?
While most people assume that the Stafford Act is the final word as to what will or won’t be funded, there are actually many considerations that inform funding, such as FEMA policies (both general and disaster-specific), case precedent, mitigation, state and local building codes, and of course, adequate documentation of damage.
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Will FEMA pay to restore our facilities to their pre-disaster state?
Not necessarily since FEMA is interested in restoring important infrastructure and not, for instance, the pre-existing aesthetics or historical architectural characteristics. For example, FEMA will contribute toward the restoration of function (e.g., replacing damaged doors), but will not replace undamaged items simply so they match.
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What do we need to be doing during and immediately following a disaster in order to insure the best funding outcome?
As hard as it is in the midst of a crisis, keep detailed records of everything for which you hope to receive federal funding. This would include taking pictures or video footage of damage before any cleanup work is done; keeping detailed time records for all employees involved in response and/or recovery work with clear descriptors of their activities; detailed invoices of all contractors and subcontractors with clearly defined specifics of their assigned tasks; documented dimensions (cubic yards, tons, etc.) of debris from buildings, building contents or landscape; if at all possible, pictures or videos of hazards where safety required swift and immediate action during the disaster response; and in general, proof of loss (e.g., original receipts of damaged or destroyed materials and equipment buildings).
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In your opinion, do you think that most organizations that qualify for FEMA funding after a federally declared disaster understand what projects and what aspects of their recovery efforts will actually be funded?
No. The Stafford Act, regulations, policies and case precedents that govern FEMA funding can be complicated, confusing and are often misunderstood or misinterpreted by applicants.
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Will FEMA reimburse any of our administrative costs for providing required information?
FEMA considers certain administrative costs reimbursable. FEMA has strict policies regarding the requirements for reimbursement of direct administrative costs (costs directly related to specific Project Worksheets).
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What knowledge, expertise and abilities should a consultant to government and non-profit organizations have in order to help with the recovery process in a federally declared disaster?
Consultants should have a thorough understanding of the Stafford Act, the Code of Federal Regulations, FEMA policies, experience working with FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, familiarity with FEMA documentation requirements and Project Worksheet development, and an informed desire to maximize all legitimate funding options available.
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If FEMA grants our organization funding, is there any chance that it could be taken away at a later date? Why? Are there certain types of projects that are most at risk of losing funding?
The Office of Inspector General is responsible for auditing funding disbursed during a disaster and can recommend repayment of any funds that fail to qualify according to strict interpretations of the Stafford Act, regulations, policies and case precedent. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for funds disbursed during a disaster’s aftermath to be disqualified at a later date due to lack of adequate adherence to the program requirements.
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Who are Disaster Scope’s clients?
We serve local agencies such as cities, counties, school districts, special districts; state agencies such as state departments and emergency management agencies; federal emergency management agencies; and certain private non-profit institutions such as universities, hospitals, private schools and water districts.
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What is Preparedness / Response Planning?
Preparedness and response planning involves the development of a comprehensive plan that incorporates best practices and procedures from the incident management arena into a unified structure and format. Preparedness/response planning forms the basis of how the local jurisdiction interacts both internally and with external agencies from local, state and federal governments in the aftermath of a disaster or emergency.
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Hazard Mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from a hazard event.
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The purpose of mitigation planning is to systematically identify policies, actions, and tools that can be used to implement those actions. Mitigation planning has four steps: organizing resources, assessing risks, developing a mitigation plan, and implementing the plan and monitoring progress.
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Recovery planning involves the development of systems and procedures to facilitate the recovery process following a declared disaster or emergency. Typically, plans include damage surveys and inspections, repair planning and estimation, financial information tracking and repair project management.
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Public Assistance provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain Private Non-Profit (PNP) organizations. The Federal share of assistance is not less than 75% of the eligible cost for emergency measures and permanent restoration. The State determines how the non-Federal share (up to 25%) is split with the applicants.
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A definition of resilience offered by The National Academies Committee on Increasing National Resilience to Hazard and Disasters is, “the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events.” Please, consider reading Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative by the same committee. Another excellent resource is Launching a National Conversation on Disaster Resilience in America: Workshop Summary
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If you have other questions, we welcome you to call DSI’s message number (626-797-8439) or send us an email with your organization as the subject line info@DisasterScope.com