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FEMA Announces Notice of Funding Opportunity for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the annual funding opportunity for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG).

The Fiscal Year 2016 AFG program will award $310.5 million to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters against fire-related deaths and hazards.

FEMA awards AFG funding to fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Service (EMS) organizations, and state fire-training academies. In addition, FEMA awards funding to other nonprofit organizations recognized for their experience and expertise with respect to fire prevention, fire safety programs and activities, and firefighter research and development programs.

Since 2002, FEMA has awarded $6.8 billion in fire grants to more than 62,300 recipients. Historically, 84 percent of awards go towards purchasing personal protective equipment, vehicles, and other operational equipment.

The application period is open through Nov. 18, 2016. The grant guidance is posted at www.grants.gov and here. Fire departments and other applicants who need additional information or assistance may contact the help desk at firegrants@fema.gov or by calling 866-274-0960.

Additionally, National Fire Prevention week is this week, Oct. 9-15. This year’s fire prevention campaign is, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years.” For additional information on Fire Prevention Week, visit: www.usfa.fema.gov. For tips on fire safety and prevention, go to Ready.gov/home-fires.

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Resources: FY 2016 AFG Fact Sheet

Download the FEMA App to locate and get directions to open shelters across the state, and receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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FEMA Announces Notice of Funding Opportunity for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

Federal Assistance to Louisiana Flood Survivors Tops $56 Million

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today more than $56 million dollars has been approved in federal support within the first week of the president’s major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana.

FEMA approved more than $39 million to help survivors with temporary rental assistance, essential home repairs and other serious disaster-related needs. Disaster survivors can register for assistance and get help with other available resources several ways. Residents who sustained disaster-related losses can apply for assistance by registering online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY). Residents who use 711 relay or Video Relay Service (VRS), can call 1-800-621-3362. Additionally, disaster survivor assistance teams are on the ground at shelters and going door to door to address immediate and emerging needs of disaster survivors including: on-site registration, applicant status checks, on-the-spot needs assessments and access to partners offering survivor services. Also, disaster recovery centers (DRCs) are scheduled to open in the next several days to provide information to survivors.

Additionally, $10.5 million in advance payments was approved through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide expedited relief to policyholders who sustained flood-related damages. These advance payments award up to 50 percent of the estimated covered loss to allow policyholders the ability to proceed with the recovery efforts while working with their adjusters.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved more than $3.5 million in low interest loans to Louisiana survivors and businesses to assist with uninsured and underinsured flood-related losses. The SBA currently has two business recovery centers open, one in Livingston parish and one in Tangipahoa parish. An additional four business recovery centers to be open on Monday, one in Ascension parish, two in East Baton Rouge parish, and one in Lafayette parish.

FEMA obligated nearly $2 million through the public assistance program for work undertaken to save lives, protect public health and safety, and protect public and private property.

The U.S. Department of Transportation made $2 million in emergency relief funds immediately available through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help repair roads and bridges in the affected areas. The funds will also help stabilize structures to prevent further damage and set up detours until permanent repairs are completed.

Providing survivors with housing solutions remains a top priority and FEMA is actively supporting Louisiana’s Disaster Housing Task Force to help displaced Louisiana residents find access to housing. FEMA activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, at the request of the state, to make participating hotels or motels available to provide short-term lodging for eligible survivors who are currently residing in a personal vehicle, hotel or motel, shelter, or place of employment.

FEMA, the state, and private sector organizations are working to identify additional rental resources near the affected areas. Residents can access this information at lahousingsearch.org.

For those looking for ways to help in the community, cash donations offer voluntary agencies flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and provides money to the local economy to help businesses recover.

In addition to these efforts, the federal government is providing the following support:

FEMA has more than 1,800 personnel on the ground, including six Incident Management Assistance Teams, one Urban Search and Rescue team that completed their mission today, and Mobile Emergency Response Support personnel. FEMA also provided the state more than 603,000 liters of water, 535,000 meals, 12,500 cots and 12,500 blankets for distribution. FEMA and the state are conducting joint federal/state preliminary damage assessments in Assumption and St. Charles parishes over the next several days.

The National Guard activated more than 2,900 National Guardsmen to assist with emergency flood response. Guardsmen have rescued more than 19,000 residents and 2,600 pets, and continue assisting with distribution of water, meals, cots, tarps and are providing additional security and shelter support.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in 12 parishes to provide low to moderate-income households who do not already receive supplemental assistance with buying groceries following a disaster. Residents in those areas who already receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance benefits will not need to register in order to receive this assistance. Residents affected by the flooding are urged to pre-register for the program at: https://dsnap.dcfs.la.gov/CustomerPortal/CPLogon.jsp.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expediting federal assistance to provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes. HUD granted a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and forbearance of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured home mortgages. Additionally, HUD is re-allocating existing federal resources such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs to give the state and communities the flexibility to redirect millions of dollars of funding to address critical needs, including housing and services for disaster survivors toward disaster relief.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deployed two National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams consisting of approximately 80 NDMS members to Baton Rouge. In addition, U.S. Public Health Service commissioned corps officers and a 30-person command and control unit. They are among 200 staff deployed to support the response effort. HHS is operating a Federal Medical Station capable of housing 250 patients on the Louisiana State University campus and is providing care for 200 patients. The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration activated its Disaster Distress helpline. This toll-free, multi-lingual crisis support service is available everyday by calling 1-800-985-5990 or texting ‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746 for Louisianans who are experiencing emotional distress.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed team leaders and subject matter expert personnel to assist the state and local government with debris removal and flood response operations. USACE also provided St. John Parish with HESCO Barriers. The state provided sand and coordinated with the National Guard for installation.

The American Red Cross (ARC) operational priorities continue to focus on providing food, shelter and relief supplies to survivors and working closely with local authorities to assess what and where the current needs are. Approximately 3,100 people remain housed in 20 ARC community shelters. Since the flooding began last week, ARC has provided more than 36,000 overnight stays in shelters and served more than 171,000 meals and snacks with feeding partners. The Red Cross Shelter Finder app displays open Red Cross shelters and their locations on an easy to use map interface. Survivors can also find the location of the nearest shelter by texting SHELTER and their Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA). The American Red Cross activated its Safe and Well program to allow survivors to let family members know they are safe and for family members to search for loved ones.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children activated its Unaccompanied Minors Registry (UMR). Family members can go to http://umr.missingkids.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST to find unaccompanied children who may have been separated from parents or caregivers because of the floods, by entering basic information and/or a photo.

The U.S. Northern Command activated a Defense Coordinating Element to support FEMA’s Regional Response Coordination Center in Denton, Texas with Department of Defense resources. The personnel are heavily involved in assisting relief efforts on the ground.

The U.S. Coast Guard supported Louisiana with air and surface rescue operations.

The Corporation for National Community Service deployed more than 330 AmeriCorps members, including FEMA Corps and AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams, to support shelter operations, survivor call centers and disaster survivor assistance teams.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is in daily contact with local cooperators, the National Weather Service and River Forecast Centers to give status updates on stream gages and coordinate flood response efforts.

The Federal Communications Commission continues to monitor communication outages and is working closely with affected carriers to ensure services are restored.

The U.S. Department of Justice deployed personnel to assist in evacuation, deconstruction and debris removal operations in the affected areas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deployed specialist personnel to monitor and assess the impacts of the flood. They are maintaining close communication with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

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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.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Federal Assistance to Louisiana Flood Survivors Tops $56 Million

Mart ISD Student is Lone Texan Selected for National Youth Preparedness Council

DENTON, Texas—The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week the selectees for the 2016-2018 National Youth Preparedness Council.

Chandler Villa, a rising senior from Mart High School, will be the sole representative from FEMA Region 6, which serves Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Created in 2012, the council brings together youth leaders from across the country who are interested in preparedness and making a difference in their communities. Council members will also complete preparedness projects.

The 17-year-old first got involved with the Mart High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) a year ago after talking to some of her teachers about it.

“I’ve always had a desire to help others,” Villa said. “I was the kid at the playground with band aids in my backpack.”

The team was recognized for their accomplishments last year. The group received honorable mentions in two categories of the 2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness and Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team.

That year, the team was deployed to the City of Marlin during a two week water crisis. The team assisted in the distribution of water to residents. Other team activities have include ride along training with paramedics, which is what Villa is most interested in.

Villa has plans to continue her education in the medical field. She has an interest in becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); and perhaps study to be a nurse and physician assistant in college. She credits the CERT team experience with teaching her more about herself.

“Honestly, there are many things that stick out because I have a really great team with a great instructor,” Villa said. “Marlin was really cool to see what it’s really like with the press conferences, see what else is going on aside from what the public sees in the news.”

Villa will take part in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit July 19-20, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

The summit gives members the opportunity to share their ideas and questions with national organizations. The students will have an opportunity to plan their legacy project. The council will also meet with FEMA community preparedness staff, who will serve as their ongoing support mentors.

The council supports FEMA’s commitment to involve youth in preparedness-related activities. It also provides an avenue to engage youth by taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions.

To learn more about the FEMA Youth Preparedness Council, please visit: http://www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.

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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. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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Mart ISD Student is Lone Texan Selected for National Youth Preparedness Council

Make Smart Decisions with Louisiana Flood Recovery Funds

Baton Rouge, La. – With more than $4.3 million in Individual Assistance already in the hands of Louisiana flood survivors, state and federal officials have some advice: Resist the urge to splurge.

State and federal disaster assistance is meant to help people pay for necessities and start to get back on their feet.

Disaster assistance may include grants and loans to help pay for emergency repairs to damaged homes, temporary housing, or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.

A letter explaining a payment’s purpose will arrive within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment. If survivors use payments on anything other than their intended purpose, they may have to repay those funds – and might not be able to receive future disaster assistance.

Survivors who have not yet registered may do so online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

The state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide assistance to eligible survivors primarily as Housing Assistance and/or Other Needs Assistance. Federal assistance also is available in the form of low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to recover.

FEMA Housing Assistance grants may be used for:

Temporary rental assistance
Essential repairs necessary to return a damaged home to a safe and functional condition
Replacing a home that has been completely destroyed

Other Needs Assistance grants may be used to cover disaster-related expenses, such as:

Medical, dental, funeral and burial costs
Replacement of disaster-damaged personal property, specialized tools for employment household items and appliances
Vehicle repair or other serious needs

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Make Smart Decisions with Louisiana Flood Recovery Funds

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Fumbling through files for important papers can be frustrating. But when an emergency strikes, trying to gather up all those documents can be downright frightening.

There is a way around all the late-minute hassle, but it will take some time and a way to organize and contain them so that you can grab and go when a disaster strikes. And, with predictions of more severe weather and flooding this winter due to El Nino, now is a good time to organize your papers.

Container options can range from a fireproof lock box or safe, a safety deposit box or something as simple as a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves into which you can insert the documents.

The list of documents and records you will want to have is long, but will be invaluable after you have evacuated your home. You will need access to some of these items sooner than others, but all are important enough to include in your “must have” list:

Vital Records: Driver’s licenses, birth certificates, adoption papers, Social Security cards, passports, citizenship papers (such as a “green card” or naturalization documents), marriage license, divorce decrees, child custody papers, current military ID, military discharge (DD Form 214), medical and vaccination records for pets along with current photos and ID chip numbers in case you are separated.
Insurance Policies: Homeowners, renters, flood, earthquake, auto, life, health, disability, long-term care; have at least the policy number and insurance company contact information for each type of coverage.

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

Property Records: Real estate deeds of trust and mortgage documents (at least the two-page settlement statement provided by the title company showing the actual cost of the house and purchase expenses); rental agreement or lease; auto/boat/RV registration and titles; video, photos or a list of household inventory.
Medical Information: Immunization and other medical records, prescription information (drug name and dosage), health insurance identification cards, physician names and phone numbers, powers-of-attorney for health care, and living wills.
Estate planning documents: Wills, trusts, funeral instructions, powers-of-attorney, attorney names and phone numbers.
Financial records: First two pages of your previous year’s federal and state tax returns, stock and bond certificates, investment records, brokerage and retirement account information, credit card, checking and savings account numbers, contact information for credit unions, banks, financial institutions, credit card companies and financial advisers.
Other: Personal address book, a letter with instructions for family or friends (for use in a situation where you’re not present), backups of important computer files, a list of usernames and passwords for online accounts, a key to your safe deposit box, a recent photograph, fingerprints and dental records for each member of the household (some police stations and nonprofits fingerprint children free);, account and contact information for utilities and other services (you may have to provide a new billing address or cancel certain services), a list of important documents and where originals and copies are located.

Those who don’t have the time or ability to gather all of these documents should focus on the most important and most difficult to replace.

In addition, take time now to think about the priceless personal items you would want to protect from danger or take with you if you had to suddenly evacuate your home.

The first step is to take an inventory of your household valuables. Those who wish more complete checklists or guidance on collecting and safeguarding this important information, go to www.ready.gov/financialpreparedness.

If you have lost documents in the Butte or Valley fires, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4240 to learn how to replace them.

Survivors can register for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Registration ends Nov. 23.

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @Cal_OES and @femaregion9 and at Facebook.com/California OES and Facebook.com/FEMA.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who are referred to SBA for a disaster loan must apply to be eligible for additional FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Berkeley County to Help South Carolina Flood Survivors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Two disaster recovery centers are open in Berkeley County to help South Carolina flood survivors. The centers, one in Goose Creek and the other in Huger, are open

8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

The new centers are located at 303 N. Goose Creek Blvd. in Goose Creek and at the Berkeley County Emergency Medical Services No. 7 at 1501 Recreation Road in Huger.

Representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are at the centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest loans. They can also help survivors apply for aid.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive state/federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

To register, go online any time to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids.

Additional disaster recovery centers are open in affected South Carolina counties. For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4241.

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Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Berkeley County to Help South Carolina Flood Survivors

FEMA Honors Two Louisiana Groups’ Achievements in Community Emergency Preparedness

DENTON, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recognized two Louisiana groups for accomplishments in working to prepare their communities for emergencies. New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps won the award for Outstanding Citizen Corps Partner Program in the 2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana received an honorable mention in the category of Technological Innovations.

The New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps (NOMRC) was honored for its emergency preparedness outreach and education to vulnerable populations in the city by working with the whole community. NOMRC coordinated with emergency preparedness agencies in the city to plan for the 2014 hurricane season. Working with agencies and health care providers that serve at-risk groups, NOMRC developed easy-to-understand hurricane preparedness messages and materials targeted to the elderly, mobility-impaired, non-English speakers and other vulnerable populations. Innovative partnerships with many local organizations and meeting people where they are in the community are hallmarks of NOMRC’s success. Some of their accomplishments include:

Providing presentations on mandatory evacuations, sheltering in place and preparing disaster supplies at community events, health fairs, in senior citizen living facilities, and through door-to-door campaigns.
Hosting 10 training sessions on emergency preparedness and resiliency for agencies serving at-risk groups.
Using Medicare data to locate individuals on oxygen or dialysis for targeted outreach.
Using New Orleans Regional Transit Authority data to survey people with limited mobility.
Discussing hurricane preparedness with elementary school children at a hurricane hunter aircraft site.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana worked with a number of community partners to design a Flood Risk and Resilience Viewer. The web-based tool displays flood risk data in an easy-to-understand format for a specific location. It helps individuals and communities understand their current and future flood risks, shows probable land loss and climate changes in the future, and how flood depths could impact the community and its infrastructure.

Each year, FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division recognizes the preparedness efforts of organizations around the country. This year 138 organizations applied for recognition. There were 11 award winners and 37 honorable mentions. The 11 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award recipients were recognized on Sept. 8, 2015, in Washington, D.C. During the recognition ceremony, recipients shared their experiences, success stories, and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders.

Visit www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards for more information on this year’s award recipients and honorable mentions.

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FEMA Honors Two Louisiana Groups’ Achievements in Community Emergency Preparedness

Mart High School Teen Group Receives 2015 FEMA Community Preparedness Honorable Mention Awards

DENTON, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recognized the members of the Mart High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for their accomplishments in responding to and preparing their community for emergencies. The group received honorable mentions in two categories of the 2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness and Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team.

Among the group’s accomplishments:

The Mart High School Teen CERT program has certified 20 students in disaster preparedness and advanced medical training.
The team assists with fire and weather drills conducted at the school.
The Mart High School Teen Cert team is part of the city’s emergency disaster plan.
The team trains with paramedics from Limestone Medical Center and facilitates the group providing career information for high school students.
Certified students are able to assist in emergencies before nearby Emergency Medical Services arrive.

The categories are:

Outstanding Citizen Corps Council Award
Community Preparedness Heroes
Awareness to Action
Technological Innovation
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness
Preparing the Whole Community
Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives
Outstanding Citizen Corps Partner Program
Excellence in Volunteer Sustainability

Several other groups in Texas and Louisiana received recognition and awards as well:

Arlington (Texas) Christian Disaster Networks received an honorable mention in the category of Excellence in Volunteer Sustainability.
New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps won the award for Outstanding Citizen Corps Program.
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana received an honorable mention in the category of Technological Innovations.

Visit www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards for more information on this year’s award recipients and honorable mentions.

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Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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Mart High School Teen Group Receives 2015 FEMA Community Preparedness Honorable Mention Awards

Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

BILOXI, Miss. — More than $3.2 billion in FEMA funding has been allocated to Mississippi for Public Assistance after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA’s Public Assistance program includes grants for the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, schools, hospitals and sewer treatment facilities. The PA program also provides funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures, such as search and rescue operations, temporary roads and overtime for other emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

Some of the PA projects in Mississippi included repairing and rebuilding the Biloxi Civic Center and Library; the Hancock County Courthouse and Medical Center; the Waveland City Hall and Municipal Complex; and St. Martin School in Jackson County. The famous Biloxi Lighthouse, which came to represent the resiliency of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina, was also repaired with funding from FEMA’s PA program.

For more information on PA recovery projects in Mississippi, please go to FEMA’s Revitalizing Mississippi Communities.

The PA program normally reimburses local, state and tribal governments and qualified nonprofit organizations for a certain share of eligible costs. However, because of the magnitude of Katrina, FEMA covered 100 percent of allowable project expenses.

The largest PA project funded by FEMA in Mississippi after Katrina is the repair of a large section of Biloxi’s water and sewer treatment system. After Katrina, the system was out of operation for weeks. It was brought back into working condition with generators and temporary bypass pumps to transfer wastewater to treatment plants. City officials decided to use the $363 million in eligible FEMA repair and rebuilding grants toward the total cost of improving and upgrading the system. Repairs include consolidating and hardening the pump stations along the beachfront to withstand future storms.

Following is a breakdown of Public Assistance funding by sector.

Health Care: More than $50 million has been obligated to rebuild and improve hospitals and other health care facilities in disaster-affected areas. Over $40.6 million was used to restore parts of Hancock Medical Center in the town of Bay St. Louis which serves a population of approximately 44,000.

Education: More than $334 million has been allocated for K-12 public schools and universities. Some of these schools, such as the St. Martin school in Jackson County, combined the funding with other sources to build new state-of-the-art educational facilities and a public safe room to protect the community from future disasters.

Public Works/Utilities: Nearly $901.6 million has been obligated. This includes more than $363 million to repair and rebuild part of Biloxi’s sewer and water treatment system and nearly $99 million for the sewer and water treatment system in Gulfport. More than $36 million funded the repair of the wastewater treatment facility in Diamondhead.

Roads and Bridges: More than $84 million was allocated for repair and rebuilding.

Public Safety and Protection: Over $33 million has been obligated for the restoration of fire and police stations, courthouses and corrections facilities. Some public safety buildings, such as the Pass Christian police station, were rebuilt using FEMA 361 standards for public safe rooms to protect first responders in future disasters.

Historic Structures: Over $129 million was obligated for restoration of historic properties, such as the town of Waveland’s Civic Center, the Carnegie Library in Gulfport and the Old Brick House in Biloxi.

Debris Removal/Emergency Protective Measures: More than $1.15 billion was allocated to clear debris and reimburse overtime hours for emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

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Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

Pagers, Radios Awarded To Ambulance Company in Schuyler, NY – Federal Grant Adds Communications Gear and Replaces Borrowed Equipment

New York, NY — Currently, the 25 members of Herkimer County’s volunteer Schuyler Ambulance Inc. learn of and respond to an emergency by means of five pagers and two portable radios, all borrowed from the Schuyler Volunteer Fire Company. In addition, should dispatched members need to contact the county dispatch center or a hospital they must use personal cell phones or the single mobile radio phone in the ambulance, creating uneven reliability in their communications, as well as frequently interrupting patient care.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, however, has awarded the ambulance company a grant of $10,328.00 to purchase 15 pagers and four portable radios to enhance the ambulance company’s communications.

The award’s announcement was made at here today at Region II of FEMA, which administers the AFG program, by Dale Mc Shine, Director of the region’s Grants Division. The local contribution to the grant was $543.00.

“The grant obviously adds a good deal to our communications efficiency, which has a direct impact on the health and well-being of our patients and we’re grateful for it,” said Anthony Pagliaro, the ambulance company’s Emergency Medical Services Director. He pointed out also that the new pagers and radios will be “P-25 compliant,” which means that they will use less bandwidth and put them in line with the FCC’s narrow-banding requirement, while increasing interoperability with other agencies.”

“It also strengthens the company’s self-sufficiency,” he was quick to add, “because this new equipment will be our own. Borrowing radios and pagers from our fire company makes us dependent and leaves them with no pagers or spare radios if one of theirs goes out of service.”

The primary operating area for the ambulance company is the town of Schuyler, which has a population of some 3,500. Mutual aid agreements extend to other townships and parts of Utica, in Oneida County, expanding the ambulance company’s total responsibility to a population to roughly 40,000. Schuyler Ambulance Inc. has been successfully recruiting new members, and has added ten new members with higher levels of medical proficiency, bringing the total to 25 volunteers.

“Solid communications are at the heart of emergency response,” FEMA’s McShine said, “and this grant highlights the AFG’s role in building and maintaining that capability.”

Mr. Pagliaro said that the new radios will be issued to the company Emergency Medical Services Director and the Assistant Director of Operations for their use. The other two radios will be kept inside the ambulance itself for use by the crew. The pagers will be given to the crew, most of whom will be able to take them home. “That will virtually eliminate the need to use personal cell phones on duty,” he added.

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards,” said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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Pagers, Radios Awarded To Ambulance Company in Schuyler, NY – Federal Grant Adds Communications Gear and Replaces Borrowed Equipment

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