FEMA Helps Pay for Debris Removal, Emergency Work

WINDSOR, Conn. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program is helping Connecticut communities pay for disaster recovery. For Hurricane Sandy, a large percentage of those dollars will be for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

Disaster response and recovery can burden local jurisdictions, which encounter extra costs for contract labor or for employee overtime. Communities take emergency protective measures before, during and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and eliminate immediate threats. After the disaster, debris must be removed to protect health and safety, and promote the economic recovery of the community.

Public Assistance grants reimburse eligible jurisdictions a minimum of 75 percent of the costs for eligible work.

Under the program, the state is the grantee, and state agencies, local and tribal governments, and eligible nonprofit organizations are the subgrantees. Applicants must submit a formal Request for Public Assistance to the state. After the request is submitted, FEMA and state program officials meet with each applicant individually to discuss damage, assess needs and develop a subgrant application.

FEMA grants the money to the state, which then distributes the funds to the applicants as documentation is received.

The deadline for applicants to submit a Request for Public Assistance is Dec. 30.

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.