Public Assistance Applicant Handbook Fema 323 March 2010

When a disaster or emergency occurs, it is the responsibility first of the local community and the State or Tribe to respond. However, their combined efforts at times are not sufficient to effectively address the direct results of the most serious events. These situations call for Federal assistance. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. Sections 5121–5207, authorizes the President to provide Federal assistance to supplement State, Tribal, and local efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, coordinates the delivery of assistance under the law and provides grants through the Public Assistance Program to help with the extraordinary costs for response and infrastructure recovery. This Handbook explains how applicants can obtain help through the Public Assistance Program. Potential recipients of this assistance include State, Tribal, and local governments and certain types of private nonprofit organizations. The mission of the Public Assistance Program is to assist communities in recovering from the devastating effects of disasters and emergencies by providing technical assistance and financial grants in an efficient, effective, consistent, and customer-friendly manner. Accordingly, it is important that everyone shares a common understanding of program policies and procedures. By understanding the content of this Handbook and following the principles outlined in it, applicants can participate as knowledgeable partners in obtaining grant funding.

When a disaster or emergency occurs, it is the responsibility first of the local community and the State or Tribe to respond. However, their combined efforts at times are not sufficient to effectively address the direct results of the most serious events. These situations call for Federal assistance. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. section 5121-5207, authorizes the President to provide Federal assistance to supplement State, Tribal, and local efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, coordinates the delivery of assistance under the law and provides grants through the Public Assistance Program to help with the extraordinary costs for response and infrastructure recovery. This Handbook explains how applicants can obtain help through the Public Assistance Program. Potential recipients of this assistance include State, Tribal, and local governments and certain types of private nonprofit organizations.

When disasters and emergencies occur, the magnitude of work can seem overwhelming. Often, the work is different from the work you usually accomplish, and there is a tremendous amount of it. You must address these events whether Federal assistance is available or not. While FEMA is not able to help you with all of your costs in a Presidentially declared major disaster or emergency, FEMA is able to help with some of them. The most immediate source to help with response and recovery is your own force account labor, materials, and equipment. They are within your authority and available to you. In a Presidentially declared event, some of your labor, materials, and equipment costs will be eligible for cost-shared FEMA assistance. Your State may provide labor, materials, equipment, and funds for your response and recovery efforts under State Emergency Plans whether Federal assistance is available or not. Other jurisdictions and agencies may also come to your aid under mutual aid agreements whether Federal assistance is available or not. If the purpose and provisions of the mutual aid agreements comply with FEMA policy, reasonable costs generally will be eligible for cost-shared FEMA assistance in a Presidentially declared event. If your needs exceed your local capabilities, you may use contracts to get the work done. Consider Federal, State, and local procurement requirements when procuring goods and services through contracts. If the work is reasonable and necessary and if contracts are awarded according to FEMA requirements, the costs generally are eligible for cost-shared FEMA assistance. Donations of labor, materials, and equipment can also help with emergency work. If you keep records (hours worked, the work site, description of work, etc.) of what was donated, you may also use such donations toward your portion of any cost-share for other emergency work.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages State and local governments, tribal authorities, and private non-profit organizations to take a proactive approach to coordinating and managing debris removal operations as part of their overall emergency management plan. Communities with a debris management plan are better prepared to restore public services and ensure the public health and safety in the aftermath of a disaster, and they are better positioned to receive the full level of assistance available to them from FEMA and other participating entities. The core components of a comprehensive debris management plan incorporate best practices in debris removal, reflect FEMA eligibility criteria, and are tailored to the specific needs and unique circumstances of each applicant. FEMA developed this guide to provide applicants with a programmatic and operational framework for structuring their own debris management plan or ensuring that their existing plan is consistent with FEMA's eligibility criteria. This framework: 1. Identifies and explains the debris removal eligibility criteria that applicants must meet in order to receive assistance under the FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program; 2. Provides a blueprint for assembling an effective and responsive plan for the entire debris management cycle; 3. Outlines the FEMA Public Assistance debris removal organizational structure and strategy.

A fundamental principle of the Public Assistance (PA) Program is that it will operate much more effectively for all participants when everyone shares a common understanding of the program benefits, expectations, and procedures. To support this idea, FEMA has undertaken an effort to provide the State, Tribal, and local partners with more and better information about the PA Program. Through the Internet, newly published materials, training opportunities, and the production of a standard Applicant's Briefing package, FEMA wants to ensure that all participants have the tools to do their part in obtaining and administering public assistance funding. As part of this effort, FEMA has produced this digest of PA Program policies. The Public Assistance Policy Digest is intended to be an easy-to read, easy-to use, brief summary of the basic policies that govern the PA Program. While the digest is primarily intended for those unfamiliar with the terms and provisions of the program, it also may serve as a reference for those with more knowledge of the program. Because this policy digest is not exhaustive, either in topics or in detail, information should be verified with FEMA PA Program officials before becoming the basis for decision making.