FEMA Awards $511,153 Grant to Lake County

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $511,153 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Lake County, Minn., for the installation of fire-resistant roofing materials on 65 residential and commercial structures.  

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V Administrator, Andrew Velasquez III.  “The fire-resistant roof installation makes these structures more resilient and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals, property and the community when future wildfires impact the area.”

“Reducing the effects of all types of natural disasters is a key component of HSEM’s mission,” said HSEM Director Joe Kelly. “Fire-resistant roofing materials is a new project type for Minnesota. With the potential for significant drought this year, we are looking to implement measures that will better protect our residents.”

“Wildfire is our greatest natural hazard risk in Lake County,” says BJ Kohlstedt, Lake County’s Emergency Management Director. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to provide a safety net to homeowners. We’re already working with HSEM, the fire marshal, building officials, licensed installers, homeowners and vendors to develop guidelines and specifications to make this project most effective. Hopefully, these can serve as models for similar projects in future.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DPS/HSEM) administers the grants for FEMA. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $681,537 eligible project cost.  The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $170,384, will be provided by Lake County.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455