Emergency Management Resources

Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 Transforms Field of Emergency Management

The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA) reforms acknowledge the shared responsibility of disaster response and recovery, aim to reduce the complexity of FEMA, and build the nation’s capacity for the next catastrophic event.  Highlights from the DRRA include:

• Greater investment in mitigation, before a disaster: Authorizing the National Public Infrastructure Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, funded through the Disaster Relief Fund as a six percent set aside from disaster expenses.
• Reducing risk from future disasters after fire: Providing hazard mitigation grant funding in areas that received Fire Management Assistance Grants as a result of wildfire. Adding 14 new mitigation project types associated with wildfires and windstorms.
• Increasing state capacity to manage disaster recovery: Allowing for higher rates of reimbursement to state, local, tribal and territorial partners for their administrative costs when implementing public assistance and hazard mitigation projects. Additionally, the legislation provides flexibility for states and tribes to administer their own post-disaster housing missions, while encouraging the development of disaster housing strategies.
• Providing greater flexibility to survivors with disabilities: Increasing the amount of assistance available to individuals and households affected by disasters, including allowing accessibility repairs for people with disabilities, without counting those repairs against their maximum disaster assistance grant award.
• Retaining skilled response and recovery personnel: Authorizing FEMA to appoint certain types of temporary employees who have been with the agency for three continuous years to full time positions in the same manner as federal employees with competitive status. This allows the agency to retain and promote talented, experienced emergency managers.

FEMA Releases Disaster Recovery Reform Act Video

FEMA developed an introductory video to the Disaster Recovery Reform Act Section 1206 to arm floodplain administrators, emergency managers, elected officials and other stakeholders in the recovery process. The video will supply stakeholders with the information needed for successful reimbursement of these new eligible activities. Through the narrator’s story following a devastating disaster in her community, viewers will learn key eligibility requirements for communities, work and costs covered under the policy and how to seek reimbursement for these new activities. 

When disaster strikes, many communities have hundreds, if not thousands, of structures to protect against future damage or restore to local codes and standards. Section 1206 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act authorizes FEMA to reimburse communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for the resources needed to effectively administer and enforce building codes and floodplain management regulations following a major disaster declaration. This creates new eligible activities through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program to carry out required post-disaster activities, increasing the overall speed of recovery and enhancing NFIP compliance. 

Before, During & After: FEMA Podcast for Emergency Managers

“Before, During & After” is a podcast for emergency managers. Tune in for insights into where emergency management is headed, conversation about preparing for the threats of tomorrow, and how everyone has a role in keeping communities safe from disaster.

Join podcast host Mark Peterson as he covers FEMA’s work in implementing its strategic plan, recent disaster recovery efforts, and resources available to better prepare for future risks.

Search past episodes and listen to podcasts here.

Leveraging AI for Effective Emergency Management and Crisis Response

AI can help emergency response agencies provide personalized care to match the large scale of modern crises.

Wildfires, bridge collapses, epidemics, intense hurricanes. Disasters seem to be getting more severe and more frequent. Yet, budgets and workforces remain largely stagnant for many emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) organizations, which include public health, disaster, and other professionals that help the public prepare for and respond to emergencies. Estimates project a need for the US public health workforce to grow by 80%.¹ However, the workforce has lost more than 45,000 workers in a little over a decade.² Many organizations are strained to unprecedented levels trying to match the enormous scale of disasters while still delivering the individualized care each survivor needs.

FEMA Releases Emergency Management Guide for Local Elected and Appointed Officials

Disaster Declaration

All emergency and major disaster declarations are made solely at the discretion of the President of the United States. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 (the Stafford Act) §401 states in part that: "All requests for a declaration by the President that a major disaster exists shall be made by the Governor of the affected State." A State also includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Republic of Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are also eligible to request a declaration and receive assistance through the Compacts of Free Association. As a result of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act, federally recognized Indian tribal governments now have the option of pursuing a declaration directly from the President. FEMA has codified the declaration process at 44 C.F.R. Part §206, Subpart B.

Disaster Declarations Overview and Disaster Declaration Process

FEMA released a video detailing the Disaster Declaration process.  This short, 5-minute video provides viewers a high-level overview of the declaration process for Federally declared disasters.  Some of the topics covered in this video include Preliminary Damage Assessments, Declaration Types, Available Assistance Types, and Mitigation. This is a great starter video for anyone that has never been through or does not understand the disaster declaration process. This video can also be shared with people in your community to help communicate the disaster declaration process as well.

Disaster Declarations for Kentucky

To gain knowledge and have a better understanding of the declaration process and the county components and data needed to successfully be included within a disaster declaration link to KYEM’s New Declaration Process.

Federal Disaster Assistance: An Overview of Post-Disaster Programs

Federal disaster aid plays an important role in the recovery process. Federal disaster aid programs provide state and local governments, households, businesses, and non-profit organizations with financial assistance for emergency response, rebuilding, and recovery costs of a large disaster.

This primer explains the main federal post-disaster programs managed by the FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and offers insight on the current system and suggestions for policy reform so that disaster aid better serves those most in need.

Disaster Aid Primer

Disaster Recovery

FEMA Roadmap to Federal Resources for Disaster Recovery

The Recovery Support Function Leadership Group (RSFLG) released the Roadmap, designed to help state, local, tribal, and territorial entities and other interested parties who are facing recovery and resiliency challenges and who may benefit from federal financial program support. Users of the Roadmap are prompted to think through challenges they may be facing post-disaster, evaluate potential solutions to those challenges, and then identify which of the federal financial resources aligned to those solutions may be applicable to their specific criteria.

The Roadmap serves as a useful informational tool for entities navigating the post-disaster recovery resource landscape. It is important to note the Roadmap is for informational purposes only and was compiled with publicly available information and should therefore be viewed only as a starting point for individual research.

The Information Sharing Guide for Private-Public Partnerships  provides recommendations and resources for any private-public partnership (P3) to develop, conduct, and improve the capability to share information for resilience and all response and recovery.

FEMA Advisory: Disaster Financial Management Guide

FEMA released the “Disaster Financial Management Guide” to support jurisdictions in establishing and implementing sound disaster financial management practices, which are critical for successful response and recovery. The guide takes an all-hazards approach and addresses a broad range of issues and contains concepts, principles and resources applicable to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic response environment.

All jurisdictions, regardless of size, need to develop and implement disaster financial management considerations and practices to track, calculate and justify the costs of an emergency; support local reimbursement reconciliation; avoid de-obligation of grant funding; and effectively fund and implement recovery projects and priorities.

The Disaster Financial Management Guide identifies the capabilities and activities necessary to prepare and successfully implement disaster financial management while maintaining fiscal responsibility throughout response and recovery operations. This includes considerations and practices necessary to track, calculate and justify the costs of an emergency; support local reimbursement reconciliation; avoid de-obligation of grant funding; and effectively fund and implement recovery projects and priorities. Fiscal and grant regulations are strict and apply to all jurisdictions, so it is imperative that jurisdictions have robust scalable, flexible and adaptable disaster financial management plans and processes in place pre-disaster for all types of incidents.

Economic Revitalization Guide for CDBG-DR Grantees

The Economic Revitalization Guide provides Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees with the tools and resources to design and implement economic revitalization activities that promote economic recovery after a disaster, improve long-term economic resilience, and address the needs of underserved communities.

Part I of the Guide provides an overview of effective economic development strategies and offers recommendations for how CDBG-DR grantees can align disaster recovery activities with broader local and regional strategies.

Part II of the Guide presents case studies on the use of CDBG-DR funds by existing grantees to enhance the quality of life in underserved communities by supporting local businesses, driving job growth and training residents to access quality jobs.

Public Assistance

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. After an event like a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or wildfire, communities need help to cover their costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure.

FEMA also encourages protecting these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.

Public Assistance Policy and Program Guide

Public Assistance Overview for Local Officials

What is Section 406 Public Assistance (PA)?

Public Assistance provides disaster grant assistance to recipients and sub-recipients to help communities quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

Funding may be made available for emergency actions taken in response to a disaster and for work done to repair or replace damaged public infrastructure. Funding is reimbursed to approved applicants as eligible costs are incurred. 

As part of the reimbursements made to restore damaged public facilities, public assistance funds may be made available for cost-effective mitigation measures undertaken as part of the recovery. The amount of Section 406 Mitigation funds made available in any given disaster is based on a project-by-project evaluation of the feasibility and cost effectiveness of mitigation measures.

FEMA PA 406 Mitigation Brochure

The FEMA PA 406 Mitigation Brochure provides information on FEMA Public Assistance mitigation funding, eligibility requirements, examples of mitigation projects, and where to go for more guidance.

Who Manages PA?

The 406 grant is managed by the state (KYEM) under funding provided in the Stafford Act. Section 406 mitigation measures are funded under the Public Assistance program (PA). PA is jointly administered by FEMA and the Commonwealth. 

• FEMA is responsible for managing the PA Program, approving grants and providing technical assistance to the State and applicants. 
• The KYEM Recovery Branch acts as the Grantee for the PA Program by educating potential applicants, managing applicant files, distributing funds to applicants, and facilitating disputes between applicants and FEMA. Applicants are responsible for maintaining accurate supporting documentation, complying with federal and state program requirements, and completing projects according to designated scopes of work. The 406 funding provides discretionary authority to fund mitigation measures in conjunction with the repair of the disaster-damaged facilities, so is limited to declared counties and eligible damaged facilities. Section 406 is applied on the parts of the facility that were damaged by the disaster and the mitigation measure directly reduce the potential of future, similar disaster damages to the eligible facility.

The PA Program coordinates FEMA grants awarded to state and local governmental entities and certain private nonprofits for response to and recovery from disasters. The Public Assistance Program provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure. Typically, FEMA will provide at least 75% of the eligible repair costs. 

Applicants are responsible for maintaining accurate supporting documentation, complying with federal and state program requirements, and completing projects according to designated scopes of work. 

FEMA Increases Public Assistance Small Project Maximum to $1 Million

FEMA has implemented a regulatory change to increase the small project maximum for the agency’s PublicAssistance program to $1 million. Simplified procedures allow FEMA to fund eligible small projects based on estimates, which expedite disaster recovery funding to applicants. Applicants are not required to submit quarterly progress reports on small projects or reconcile final costs, but must still comply with all application laws, regulations, and policies. National emergency management partners have supported FEMA making this change to reduce administrative burdens, more efficiently use resources, simplify the program for smaller applicants with smaller dollar projects, and speed up the closure of projects.

The $1 million threshold applies to all projects under major disasters and emergencies declared on or after Aug. 3, 2022. The $1 million threshold also applies to all unobligated PA projects in major disasters and emergencies declared between March 13, 2020, and Aug. 3, 2022.

Building Codes, The Foundation for Resilience: Get Reimbursed for Building Code Administration and Enforcement After a Disaster with Public Assistance

Section 1206 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 authorizes FEMA to provide communities with the resources to administer and enforce building code and floodplain management ordinances following a major disaster declaration through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.

To promote this opportunity, FEMA has developed a two-page flyer that outlines:

• Who’s eligible to apply
• What work & costs are eligible for reimbursement
• Cost-share details and more!

Download the DRRA 1206 Flyer

Individual Assistance (IA)

Individuals & Households Program (IHP)

Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by a disaster, who have uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs. IHP assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet your basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.

IHP Assistance may include:

• Funds for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your home, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs
• Funds to support the repair or replacement of owner-occupied homes  that serve as the household’s primary residence, including privately-owned access routes, such as driveways, roads, or bridges
• A temporary housing unit, if approved for the disaster, when you are not able to use rental assistance due to a lack of available housing resources
• Funds for hazard mitigation assistance to help eligible homeowners repair or rebuild stronger, more durable homes
• Funds for other uninsured or under-insured disaster-caused expenses and serious needs

Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide

After a Disaster Make Your Home Resistant to Flood & Wind Damage

After a Disaster Make Your Home Resistant to Flood & Wind Damage

Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting 3rd Edition (2014)

Online Webinar Series Focuses on Procurement Under Disaster Grants

FEMA’s Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) recently published offering detailed information for recipients and sub-recipients of FEMA disaster grants as they navigate the federal procurement process. The video modules were produced by OCC’s Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT), and are not intended to be a substitute for legal advice or live procurement under grants training. The webinars describe procurement standards under the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (also known as the “Uniform Rules”), (2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-.326).

These blocks of instruction will familiarize you with the procurement standards imposed by Federal regulations on recipients and subrecipients when procuring services and property with funding from any of the Stafford Act grant programs, specifically as interpreted by and applied to the Public Assistance Program.  FEMA recommends watching these modules in order if you have not received this training before. If you have received any or all of this training before, these modules can be watched in any order as a refresher. 

Topics discussed include, in part; the roles of federal and non-federal entities in the procurement under grants process; rules applicable to states, including state agencies; rules applicable to local governments, tribes, and nonprofits, sometimes collectively referred to as non-Federal Entities (NFEs); competition and procurement methods that apply to NFEs; socioeconomic contracting; pre-procurement document review and bonding requirements for NFEs; procurement of recovered materials or required contract provisions; and the differences between the current procurement standards and previous procurement standards.

The webinars may be useful for FEMA stakeholders in the public, private, tribal, or non-profit sectors or any other emergency management personnel working on procurements under grants.

Please visit www.fema.gov/procurement-disaster-training to watch the webinar series and learn more about important procurement legal standards under FEMA disaster grants.

For further information on FEMA grant procurement requirements, including contract review checklists, detailed guidance on the above topics, and online webinar training classes. Learn about Contracting with Federal Funds for Goods and Services Before, During and After Disasters.

Top 10 Grant Procurement Mistakes and Training

Completing a Grant - Use this checklist to ensure you aren’t making the most common mistakes.

Top 10 Procurement Mistakes Leading to Audits and Potential Loss of FEMA Public Assistance Grant Funding

1. Engaging in a noncompetitive procurement (i.e., sole-sourcing) without carefully documenting how the situation has created an urgent need to perform the works sooner than a competitive procurement process would allow.
2. Continuing work under a sole-source contract after the urgent need (see #1) has ended, instead of transitioning to a competitively procured contract.
3. Piggybacking onto another jurisdiction’s contract in a situation that doesn’t allow noncompetitive procurement (see #1) or where the other contract is materially different in terms of scope or requirements. Piggybacking is rarely allowable.
4. Awarding a “time-and-materials” contract without a ceiling price that the contractor exceeds at its own risk and without documenting why no other contract type is suitable.
5. Awarding a “cost-plus-percentage-of-cost” or “percentage-of-construction-cost” contract.
6. Not including the required contract clauses (available online at the below website under “PDAT Resources” menu).
7. Including a geographic preference in a solicitation (i.e., giving an advantage to local firms).
8. Not making and documenting efforts to solicit small businesses, minority businesses, and woman’s business enterprises.
9. Conducting a procurement exceeding $150,000 without conducting a detailed cost or price analysis.
10. Not carefully documenting all steps of a procurement to create a record if questions arise potentially years later.