Public Assistance Program
The objective of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal, local governments and certain types of private non-profit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the president. The State of Florida manages this program as the grantee from FEMA (grantor) for all sub-grants awarded to local eligible jurisdictions and agencies within the State of Florida.
Through the Public Assistance Grant Program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures. In addition, grant assistance may be provided for the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly-owned facilities and the facilities of certain private non-profit (PNP) organizations. To be eligible for assistance from this grant program, prospective applicants must fill out a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) through the State of Florida Public Assistance Web Portal, www.FloridaPA.org. To find out more about the Public Assistance Grant Program, view the current State of Florida Generic Public Assistance Applicant’s Briefing. The FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program also encourages protection of the damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. In accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (PL 93-288), the federal share of assistance is not less than 75% of the eligible cost for emergency measures and permanent restoration.
Declaration and PDA Process
Prior to the Public Assistance Grant Program becoming available, a presidential declaration must be made designating the jurisdictions eligible for Public Assistance. In preparing to request a presidential declaration, the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) will participate in a joint FEMA, state, and local jurisdiction Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) to determine state eligibility for a presidential declaration for the Public Assistance Grant Program. The PDA process assesses the costs associated with Emergency Protective measures, Debris Removal, and Infrastructure Restoration to pre-disaster condition after deductions for insurance and any other federal program payments are made. If the total of these costs exceed the amount designated by FEMA as being beyond the state’s ability to provide, the incident may then become eligible for a Public Assistance declaration. It is for this reason that all damages must be tabulated to capture the true cost of the incident to the state for consideration by FEMA and the president.
Types of Work
Public Assistance is categorized into two types of work: Emergency and Permanent. The performance period for Emergency Work Public Assistance Grants is normally 180 days after the presidential declaration. The performance period for Permanent Work Public Assistance Grants is normally 18 months after the presidential declaration. The performance period of both of these types of grants can be extended provided an appropriate request for extension is submitted to the state (grantee) by the local jurisdiction or agency (sub-grantee). Requests for extension of performance period are submitted through the State of Florida Public Assistance Web Portal.
Apply for Public Assistance
Visit our www.FloridaPA.org to create an account within 30 days of a presidential declaration to apply for Public Assistance. Please also see 2010 Public Assistance Disaster Relief Thresholds.
Contact
For further information or questions, please contact the Public Assistance Program.
Updated:
August 17, 2010 8:55
