Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Sam Walton: Disaster Assistance Program ManagerPublic Assistance (PA)/Individual Assistance (IA)

Al Cavallo: Public Assistance Branch ChiefNew Disaster Team

Mark Passmore: Public Assistance Branch ChiefDisaster Close Out Team

Rebecca Lopez: Individual Assistance Branch ChiefVolunteers, Mass Care, Functional Needs

Bill Dennis: Grants Administrator IIIGrants Supervisor

Disaster Assistance

Sam Walton

Alaska National Guard Armory, JBER

Alaska National Guard Armory, JBER

FEMA Region X - Bothell, Washington

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

State and FederalDisaster Assistance Grant Programs

And Why this may be Important for

YOU

Be prepared for some audience participation

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Why Alaska Government Finance Officers?o You represent the finance elements of various governmental, jurisdictional and

private sector organizations

o All jurisdictions are vulnerable to disasters and all disasters are local

o Disasters are followed by Response and Recovery activities

o Response and Recovery activities are Expensive (and sometimes poorly procured)

Who gets to pay the Bills for inefficient/ineffective recovery?

Audience Response: US

Hurricane Patricia from the ISS

Alaska DHS&EM State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC)

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

What ARE the basic Federal and State Disaster Recovery Programs?

o Public Assistance (infrastructure): Financial assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure to pre-disaster function/capacity. Grants are conditional, performance based financial agreements. However, will not pay dollar for dollar all recovery costs.

o Individual Assistance (private property/temporary housing): Financial Assistance for Housing/rentals, Personal property (clothing, essential items etc.), Transportation, Medical, dental or funeral expenses

o Mitigation (Loss Reduction): Efforts to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters such as Floods, Tsunami, Earthquakes and Fires

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

What authorizes these programs and where does the Money come from?

o Federal Disasters – The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act)

o State Disasters – Alaska Statute Title 26 Homeland Security and Civil Defense, Alaska Administrative Manual, Executive Orders of the Governor

Federal Disaster funding is described in the FEMA State Agreement at a 75% federal/25% state cost share (publicly funded)

State Disasters funding is 100% state funded. Governor may spend up to $1,000,000 per event without additional authority from the legislature (publicly funded)

Audience Response: PUBLIC FUNDS

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

O &M Budget

No Event

O & M

Disaster Costs

You

Disaster Event

You

2015 Sockeye FireWillow, AK

Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

O &M Budget

Post Event

O & M

Disaster Costs

You

Disaster Event

You

Disaster Costs

Disaster Assistance Programs

Public Assistance

Al Cavallo

How is Public Assistance organized?

• Activated by Presidential/Governor’s Disaster Declaration specifying location, time and type of event

• Damages must be direct result of declared event• Program assistance must not duplicate insurance

coverages• All federal/state cost and procurement principles

apply • 4 interrelated “Eligibility” components

Public Assistance Eligibility

The criteria to be eligible for Public Assistance have four components:

1. Applicant

2. Facility

3. Work

4. Cost

What is Eligibility?

Applicant

Facility

Work

Cost

1. Applicant: Who can be one?

• State and Local Governments/Jurisdictions• Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments,

including Alaska Native villages and organizations

• PNP Organizations that own or operate facilities that provide certain services

(must participate in a comprehensive program briefing by state staff)

Eligibility

Eligibility2. Facility: What is that?A facility is defined as:

• Any publicly or PNP-owned building, works, system, or equipment (built or manufactured); or

• Certain improved and maintained natural features.

Legal Responsibility• An eligible applicant must be legally responsible for the repair of the damaged

facility or the performance of eligible emergency services at the time of the disaster.

Active Use

• A facility must be in active use at the time of the disaster. Inactive facilities are not eligible. Some exceptions to this requirement might occur.

Eligibility3. Work: actions to complete approved projects

There are three general types of work:• Debris removal• Emergency Protective Measures (EOC, evacuations, emergency staffing)• Permanent Restoration (roads, bridges, water control, buildings, equipment, utilities)

There are three general criteria to all types of work and to all applicants:• Direct result• Designated Disaster Area• Legal responsibility

Not eligible: Damage due to negligence or lack of maintenance

Eligibility4. Costs: expenses to support approved work

Costs that can be directly tied to the performance of eligible work are eligible. Such costs must be:

3. Reduced by all applicable credits, such as anticipated insurance proceeds, salvage values and purchase discounts.

-- No depreciation or financial caps (restoration to pre-disaster function/capacity)

2. Compliant with Federal, State, and local requirements for competitive procurement.

1. Reasonable and necessary to accomplish the workA cost is reasonable when it is both fair and equitable for the type of work being performed. Necessary means required to perform the scope of work

Eligibility4. Cost (cont.)Labor1. Permanent Employees2. Temporary Employees

MaterialsThe cost of supplies that were purchased or taken from stock and used during the performance of eligible work.EquipmentThe cost of operating and maintaining owned or rented equipment required to perform approved workContractsContracts must be of reasonable cost, generally must be competitively bid, and must comply with Federal, State and local procurement standards.

Eligibility4. Cost (cont.)

Ineligible Costs

1. Loss of revenue: is not an eligible cost and cannot be funded through the PA Program.

2. Increased Operating Costs: The cost of operating a facility or providing a service may increase due to or after a disaster. With few exceptions, these costs are not eligible.

3. Surveys for Damage: The owner of a facility is responsible for determining the extend of damage. Surveys are not eligible work under a PW.

• FEMA/State cannot provide disaster assistance if damages covered by insurance.

• FEMA/State requires you to obtain and maintain insurance on facilities repaired/replaced with program funding

• In some cases, and with FEMA/State approval, applicants may comply with the insurance requirement using a self-insurance plan.

Insurance

State PA Staffing

7 Full Time State Staff12 Federal Disasters

16 State Disasters468 active restoration projects

$140M in current estimates$50M in disbursements annually

• Reimbursements based on programmatic eligibility (not all losses are eligible)

• Significant documentation burden. However, administrative costs are reimbursable

• Generally Not a rapid process. While many reimbursements happen in 60-90 days others will take much longer to finalize

• Require exhaustive line item by line item PA staff financial reconciliations (programmatic and financial audits)

• Public Funds so subject to rigorous Audits by the federal Office of the Inspector General and Alaska Legislative auditors

Downside

Upside

• May be used to supplement Insurance for non-insured or non-insurable losses

• May cover insurance deductibles and coverage limits

• No Depreciation: restoration costs are based on todays dollars, not original acquisition costs

• Necessary Project cost overruns may be eligible for reimbursement

• Grant administrative costs are reimbursable• In some cases, infrastructure improvements may

be allowable costs

Individual Assistance

Rebecca Lopez

What is Individual Assistance (IA)? • Activated by Presidential/Governor’s Disaster Declaration

specifying location, time and type of event

• Intended to provide assistance to individuals or families to permit them to meet disaster related necessary expenses and serious needs for which other assistance is either unavailable or inadequate

• Comprised of two types of Grants-Individual and Family Grant-Temporary Housing Grant

2015 Landslide Sitka, AK

Who is Eligible for IA?

• Individuals and Families impacted directly by event

• Must exhaust all other government assistance

• One application per household

2015 Sockeye Fire, Willow AK

What is Eligible? • Housing repairs and rental assistance for primary

residence only. In some cases housing replacement (off road system communities)

• Essential personal property (clothing, bedding, ect)

• Transportation

• Medical, dental, or funeral expenses

• Can’t duplicate Insurance benefits

What is Not Eligible?

• Landscaping

• Second homes

• Rental Property

• Recreational property

What are the cost limits?State

• Individual and Family Grants

(IFG) up to $16,500

• Temporary Housing - Owners up to 18 months

- Renters up to 3 months

What are the cost limits?Federal

• Individual and Family Grants

(IFG) up to $33,000

• Temporary Housing - Owners up to 18 months

- Renters up to 18 months

Why is this important to you?

• Local jurisdictions often hold records that help residents verify pre-event residential details (utilities, tax records, ownership, value)

• Local jurisdictions are best experts about critical needs to speed recovery

• You personally or someone you know may be affected by the event

• You could be our Jurisdictional Contact

Show me the $$$ IA Disaster Name (Indv Fam Grant) Disaster # #of Apps IFG Dollars Paid2012 September Severe Storms AK-12-240 419 $2,062,315.63

2013 Kenai Peninsula Borough Fall Flood AK-13-243 90 $423,404.11 2013 November Storms AK-13-244 313 $1,557,885.35 2013 Spring Flood AK-13-242 406 $2,020,200.112015 Sockeye Fire AK-15-247 74 $193,945.85 2015 Card Street Fire AK-15-248 10 $38,180.79 2015 Alaska Fires AK-15-251 7 $36,040.89 2015 August Southeast Rains AK-15-252 21 $27,431.12 Total $6,359,403.85 IA Disaster Name (Temp Housing) Disaster # of Apps TH Dollars Paid2012 September Severe Storms AK-12-240 40 $233,960.33

2013 Kenai Peninsula Borough Fall Flood AK-13-243 7 $47,793.54 2013 November Storms AK-13-244 37 $131,105.47

2013 Spring Flood AK-13-242 79 $408,371.18

2015 Sockeye Fire AK-15-247 36 $151,187.00 2015 Card Street Fire AK-15-248 3 $25,344.00 2015 Alaska Fires AK-15-251 3 $40,860.00 2015 August Southeast Rains AK-15-252 3 $32,564.60 Total $1,071,186.12

Downside

• Generally will not cover all losses

• Applies to primary residence only

• May take 60 days or more from actual event to be paid

Upside

• May be used to supplement Insurance for non-insured or non-insurable losses

• Can cover insurance deductibles

• Disaster Assistance disbursements are non-taxable

• Though limited, program does provide tangible benefits and peace of mind

MITIGATION

Sam Walton

Mitigation

What is IT?

Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property damage by actions

that reduce the impact of disasters

Mitigation2 Programs

Authorized by the Stafford Act

1) Section 406 – Works with the Public Assistance Program to enhance projects resistance to future damage from similar perils.

- Developed and funded through each PA project - Up 100% of original project estimate

Mitigation2 Programs

2) Section 404 – Is a state wide mitigation project program. It is not tied to a particular disaster or PA project. Projects are developed and prioritized through coordination with local jurisdictions. - Funded from federal disasters (15%) - Generally don’t have a local cost share

Home Elevations,Galena, AK following 2013 Spring Floods

Disaster Assistance

Questions?

State FinanceBill Dennis

Questions?

We’re from the

Government

And

we’re here to

HELP!

REMEMBER:

Sam Walton 907-428-7039 samuel.walton@alaska.govAl Cavallo 907-428-7051 alan.cavallo@alaska.govMark Passmore 907-428-7057 mark.passmore@alaska.govRebecca Lopez 907-428-7052 rebecca.lopez@alaska.gov

Al Cavallo, PA Branch Chief Mark Passmore, PA Branch Chiefalan.cavallo@alaska.gov mark.passmore@alaska.gov

(907) 428-7051 (907) 428-7057   

State Public Assistance Officers   Nora Firmin Amber Foremannora.firmin@alaska.gov amber.foreman@alaska.gov(907) 428-7076 (907) 428-7091DR-4050, 2012 West Coast Storm  DR-4094, 2012 September Storm Terry KurthAK-12-240, 2011 September Storm (DR-4094) terry.kurth@alaska.gov   (907) 428-7050Brian Fisher DR-1663, 2006 August South Central Floodingbrian.fisher@alaska.gov DR-1669, 2006 October Southern AK Storm(907) 428-7014 DR-1796, 2008 Tanana Basin FloodingDR-4122, 2013 Spring Floods DR-1843, 2009 Spring FloodAK-13-242, 2013 Spring Floods DR-1865, 2009 October Kodiak Storms  DR-1992, 2011 Spring FloodsRandy Miller AK-11-233, 2011 Spring Floodrandy.miller@alaska.gov DR-4054, 2012 KPB Storm(907) 428-7046 DR-4161-2013 KPB FloodsDR-4162, 2013 November Storms AK-13-243, 2013 October KPB Floods (DR-4161)AK-13-244, 2013 November Storms (DR-4162)  AK-11-134, 2011 Birch Creek  AK-12-238, Prince William Sound Winter Storm  

Current Public Assistance Disaster Assignments