Public Assistance Program Supports Iowa Rebuilding Efforts
Release Date: June 29, 2008
Release Number: 1763-054
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DES MOINES, Iowa -- Communities choked with debris, broken utilities and damaged buildings have begun the long rebuilding process by applying for state and federal assistance.
The Public Assistance program, administered by the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is designed to help state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations recover from disaster.
Private nonprofits may qualify for assistance to restore certain types of facilities, including educational, utility, emergency, medical, custodial care and other facilities that provide essential government types of services.
"There's a process and timeline in place to address the eligibility of damages," explained HSEMD State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall. "Most counties are now familiar with the process, and we are looking at the timeline based on the on-going nature of this disaster. It may seem complex, but there are often big dollar amounts involved. We partner with FEMA to assist applicants in getting the right assistance."
Soon after a declaration is made, an applicant can send in a request for Public Assistance to the state. The deadline to submit a request for this disaster is normally 30 days from the declaration, but will be adjusted due to the on-going addition of designated counties.
"The initial requests for Public Assistance are submitted by applicants at the state-sponsored applicant briefing which occurs shortly after the disaster is declared," said Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel of FEMA. "Following the applicant's briefing the state and FEMA meet again in a kickoff meeting where specific damage to facilities is discussed and inspections are then scheduled to determine the extent of damage that is eligible for federal funding."
Requests from declared counties normally include debris removal, public building repairs, replacement of facilities and repairs to utility cooperatives. There are seven categories of work, encompassing debris removal, emergency protective measures, permanent restoration of infrastructure and damaged roads and bridges.
HSEMD, which administers the Public Assistance program, is hosting applicant briefings to provide general information. FEMA follows these with kickoff meetings for potential applicants to let them know what type of damage qualifies for formal documentation of specific needs on project worksheets. Each project worksheet addresses one category of damage.
Applicants must identify and submit damages within 60 days of a FEMA kickoff meeting. "Site inspections are conducted prior to writing the project worksheets," said Vogel. "We expect to process about 2,000 project worksheets for this disaster."
When approved, FEMA will typically pay 75 percent of the cost. There are no estimates yet for the total amount of grants to be awarded.
"We're here to assist with the process and to fund the projects," said Vogel. "The Public Assistance program is based on a partnership of FEMA, state and local officials. It's working well for this disaster."
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 30-Jun-2008 11:31:47