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Arkansas, Louisiana & New Mexico Receive More Than $2.4 Million in FEMA Preparedness Grants

DENTON, Texas — Fire departments in Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico have been awarded more than $2.4 million in preparedness grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In Arkansas, the grants total $413,524 and cover firefighting equipment for the Lake Village Fire Department and the Lone Rock Volunteer Fire Department in Norfork.

In Louisiana, the grants total more than $1.8 million and pay for:

• Firefighting equipment for the Church Point Volunteer Fire Department, the Forest Volunteer Fire Department in Oak Grove, the Plaucheville Volunteer Fire Department and the West Baton Rouge Fire District 1 in Port Allen; and
• The hiring of 17 firefighters because of attrition for the Shreveport Fire Department.

The grant in New Mexico totals $169,000 and pays for tuition and educational assistance plus several other programs for the Mayhill Volunteer Fire Department.

The federal grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants program. SAFER awards provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase the number of trained, front line firefighters available in their communities. For more information on the SAFER Grant program, visit http://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-emergency-response-grants.

The primary goal of the AFG is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders get critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. For more information on the AFG program, visit http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant.

Follow FEMA Region 6 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6.

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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 http://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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Arkansas, Louisiana & New Mexico Receive More Than $2.4 Million in FEMA Preparedness Grants

Next Steps After Receiving a FEMA Determination Letter

SAIPAN – FEMA housing inspectors have been assessing damaged homes of applicants who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage sustained in Typhoon Soudelor. Once the inspection process is complete, your case will be reviewed by FEMA and you will receive a letter, or email if you signed up for E-Correspondence, outlining the decision:

If you qualify for a FEMA grant, FEMA will send you a check by mail or deposit it directly into your bank account. You will also receive a letter describing how you are to use the money. You should only use the money given to you as explained in the letter and we suggest that you save receipts on how you spent the money.
If you do not qualify for a FEMA grant, you will receive a letter explaining why you were ineligible and will be given clear information on how to appeal the decision*. Your appeal rights will be described in this letter. Appeals must be in writing and mailed within 60 days of FEMA’s decision.
If you are referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), you will receive an SBA application from SBA. The application must be completed and returned in order to be considered for a loan or for additional FEMA grant assistance. SBA representatives are available to help you with the application at local Disaster Recovery Center, at Pedro P Tenorio Multi-purpose Center in Susupe. Normal hours of operation are Monday-Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Completing and returning the loan application does not mean that you must accept the loan.

*An appeal is a written request to review your file again with additional information you provide that may affect the decision. You may appeal any decision provided by FEMA regarding your Individual Assistance.

Appeals may relate to your initial eligibility decisions, the amount or type of assistance provided to you, late applications, requests to return money, or a denial of Continued Temporary Housing Assistance. Prior to requesting an appeal review, you should review your file with a FEMA helpline agent at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585, or request a copy of your file from FEMA so you can understand why you received the decision you want to appeal.

Follow these steps to appeal the decision.

Explain in writing why you think the decision about the amount or type of assistance you received is not correct. You, or someone who represents you or your household, should sign the letter and have it notarized. If the person writing the letter is not a member of your household, there must be a signed statement saying that the person may act for you.
Include the FEMA registration number and disaster number (shown at the top of your decision letter) in your letter of appeal. You should also include the last four digits of your social security number, your full name, your address, and your date and place of birth.
You may also want to include a copy of a government-issued identification card or include the following statement “I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct”.
If you have supporting documentation for your appeal, include that in your correspondence to FEMA.
Mail your appeal letter to:

FEMA – Individuals & Households Program
National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

or you can fax you appeal letter to:

(800) 827-8112
Attention: FEMA – Individuals & Households Program.

IMPORTANT: To be considered, your appeal letter must be postmarked within 60 days of the date of the decision letter’s date. Remember to date your letters.

All appeals are reviewed.
Decisions usually are made within 30 days of receiving the request.
Additional information may be requested from you if FEMA does not have enough information to make a decision.
You will be notified by mail of the response to your appeal.

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.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339.

Taken from –

Next Steps After Receiving a FEMA Determination Letter

Deadline Approaching to File Requests for FEMA/CNMI Public Assistance

SAIPAN – The Government of CNMI agencies and certain private nonprofit agencies, that may be eligible for federal and commonwealth disaster assistance, must submit Request for Public Assistance (RPA) forms to Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) Homeland Security by September 4, 2015.

The Public Assistance Program provides grants to commonwealth governments and certain private non-profit entities to assist them with the response to and recovery from disasters.

Public Assistance (PA) funds are available to eligible applicants as part of the federal disaster declaration of August 5, 2015, for the typhoon that occurred August 1-3, 2015 in CNMI.

The primary goal of the Public Assistance program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and CNMI, is to provide reimbursement for eligible expenses for emergency response as well as the repair and replacement of damaged public facilities.

Under the PA program, FEMA reimburses successful applicants for 75 percent of their eligible expenses, while the other 25 percent is the non-federal share. The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas pays 75 percent of the non-federal share of eligible costs incurred by the territorial agencies and special districts with local agencies picking up the remaining 25 percent.

Commonwealth agencies and certain private nonprofits are responsible for the entire non-federal share. The federal portion is paid directly to the territory, with CNMI being the grantee, which then makes disbursements to sub-grantees, the local jurisdictions and organizations.

For forms and more information on the PA program, contact CNMI Public Affairs Officer, Ivan Blanco at 670-237-8040.

The RPA form also can be submitted via email to: Nerissa Benavente at Nerissa.cip@gmail.com

September 4, 2015 is the deadline to submit RPAs.

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Deadline Approaching to File Requests for FEMA/CNMI Public Assistance

Getting Disaster Help from the U.S. Small Business Administration: SBA Representatives available at Disaster Recovery Center

SAIPAN-

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

♦ SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

♦ Businesses may borrow up to $2 million for any combination of property damage or economic injury.

♦ SBA offers low-interest working capital loans (called Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to small businesses, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes having difficulty meeting obligations as a result of the disaster.

♦ If you are a homeowner or renter, FEMA may refer you to SBA. SBA disaster loans are the primary source of money to pay for repair or replacement costs not fully covered by insurance or other compensation.

♦ Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence.

♦ Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

♦ Begin by registering with FEMA. If you haven’t already done so, call (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or visit www.disasterassistance.gov.

♦ Homeowners and renters should submit their SBA disaster loan application, even if they are not sure that they will need or want a loan. If SBA cannot approve your application, in most cases they will refer you to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program for possible additional assistance.

HOW TO APPLY TO SBA

We encourage every individual and business owner to come into the Disaster Recovery Center and speak one-on-one with an SBA Customer Service Representative. Our representatives will answer all of their questions and explain the application process. We will also help each business owner and homeowner complete their application to apply for a low-interest disaster loan.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339.

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Getting Disaster Help from the U.S. Small Business Administration: SBA Representatives available at Disaster Recovery Center

Mississippi Hurricane Katrina: A Decade of Progress through Partnerships

BILOXI, Miss. — It’s been nearly ten years since Hurricane Katrina left widespread destruction along the Mississippi Coast. In the storm’s path, more than 234,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and more than one million people, a third of Mississippi’s population, were affected.

During the ten-years of recovery, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have collaborated with local governments and communities statewide to ensure that Mississippi rebuilds stronger and safer.

“FEMA was there to assist the state of Mississippi days before the storm made landfall and this partnership remains strong today,” said Robert Latham, Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. “They have continued to support with financial and technical assistance to help rebuild Mississippi and make us more resilient.”

The following is a snapshot of FEMA and state assistance provided throughout the state during the last ten years:

Helping individuals and families:

More than $1.3 billion was spent to help individuals and families meet their basic needs and begin to recover. More than 126,000 families received rental assistance – with more than 45,000 families provided with a temporary housing unit.

Rebuilding Mississippi’s Infrastructure:

MEMA administers FEMA’s Public Assistance funds. To date, FEMA has obligated over $3.2 billion – the amount committed to restore schools, public buildings, roads and bridges, medical facilities, parks and other infrastructure and for debris removal and emergency response during and after the storm.

The current water and sewer infrastructure project underway in the City of Biloxi is the largest Public Assistance project in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. FEMA obligated over $363 million for this project.

Historic preservation

In an innovative agreement to preserve historic properties after a disaster, FEMA partnered with several agencies to streamline the process required by the National Historic Preservation Act. Under this agreement – called the Secondary Programmatic Agreement – FEMA’s historic and archaeological specialists used GPS data to survey thousands of historic properties, districts and archaeological sites in the lower Mississippi counties most affected by Katrina. This survey is nearly 94 percent complete.

FEMA has worked with the state of Mississippi to safeguard these treasures in our Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation work through extensive environmental/historical assessments and collaborative decisions.

Preparing for future disasters

FEMA has obligated $314 million for Hazard Mitigation in federal funds for safe rooms, shelters, hurricane-proofing and other projects to reduce the effect of future disasters. This is part of the $364 million available to Mississippi for projects to reduce the impact of disasters on people and property. The balance of the remaining funds to be obligated is just over $50 million. To date, $159 million has been obligated for safe rooms across the state. MEMA manages the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program in Mississippi. It identifies projects and manages them from beginning to closeout.

As we reach the ten year mark and the Hurricane Katrina recovery mission is nearly completed, Mississippi’s new and rebuilt infrastructure will be less vulnerable to future storms than in 2005. “Our strong partnership with the state of Mississippi was the key part in making our recovery efforts a reality for Mississippians,” said FEMA Mississippi Recovery Office Acting Director Laura Hill. “FEMA is proud of having worked with Mississippi in our rebuilding efforts to make the state stronger and better prepared.”

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Mississippi Hurricane Katrina: A Decade of Progress through Partnerships

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Stevens County Complex Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Stevens County Complex Fire burning in Stevens County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 12:51 a.m. PDT on Aug. 15, 2015.

At the time of the request, the complex had burned four homes and eight outbuildings near Addy and over 1,000 homes were evacuated. There are sixteen known fires (Heine Rd, Marble Valley, Gold Hill, Finley Gulch, Fruitland, Lime 2, China Creek, Elbow Lake, Flat Creek, Deep Lake, Squaw Creek, Paradise Peak, Bonanza Hill, Grouse Mountain, and Hall Mountain) threatening homes, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources across the county. Shelters have been established at Gess Elementary, Oroville High School and Republic High School.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state of Washington’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

FMAGs are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Stevens County Complex Fire

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Clearwater Complex Lawyer Branch Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Clearwater Complex Lawyer Branch Fire burning in Lewis and Idaho counties, Idaho.
FEMA Region X Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state of Idaho’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 1:13 a.m. MDT on Aug. 14, 2015.

At the time of the request, the fire was immediately threatening 650 homes in and around the community of Kamiah. Approximately 600 of the threatened homes are primary residences while others are secondary homes. The fire was also threatening a power substation, two medical clinics, an assisted living facility, two water treatment plants, a sewage treatment plant, city hall, a police station and a senior citizen center. Additionally, the fire threatens Clearwater watershed, salmon and steelhead spawning areas and the Nez Perce Reservation. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were issued for approximately 1,200 people.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state of Idaho’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Link –

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Clearwater Complex Lawyer Branch Fire

Colorado Requests More Counties Be Added to Disaster Declaration

DENVER – Today, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the designation of additional counties for Public Assistance under Major Disaster Declaration DR-4229 to include Adams, Boulder, and Park counties and the City and County of Denver.

In the request Colorado DHSEM Director Kevin Klein wrote, “The most recent preliminary damage assessments highlight the scale of this disaster, with 15 of 64 Colorado counties accruing eligible damages due to widespread flooding and severe weather from April through June. Adams, Boulder and the City and County of Denver in particular have now experienced additional hardships as they are still recovering from FEMA-4145-DR-CO, arguably the most costly disaster in Colorado history.”

The request was submitted to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate through Dolph Diemont, the DR-4229 Federal Coordinating Officer at the Joint Field Office located in Denver. FEMA is now reviewing the request.

DR-4229 was declared by President Obama on July 16, 2015 after local, State and FEMA officials completed two rounds of Preliminary Damage Assessments in June and July. After the declaration the State was made aware of additional damages. During the past two weeks the State worked with FEMA to conduct additional Preliminary Damage Assessments to verify eligible losses. Based upon the results of the assessments, DHSEM Director Kevin Klein has requested that FEMA add Adams, Boulder, and Park counties along with the City & County of Denver to the list of designated counties.

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Colorado DHSEM’s mission is to provide leadership and support to Colorado communities to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond and recover from all-hazard events including acts of terrorism.

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Colorado Requests More Counties Be Added to Disaster Declaration

Disaster Recovery Center to Open in Susupe

SAIPAN – A joint Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open on August 12 in Susupe to help individuals and families affected by Typhoon Soudelor with the recovery process.

The DRC will open on Wednesday, August 12, at 12 p.m.:

Pedro P Tenorio Multi-purpose Center

Beach Rd, Susupe, Saipan MP 96950, Northern Mariana Islands

Aug. 12 (opening day) hours of operation: 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

Normal hours of operation: Monday-Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

After registering online or by telephone, survivors can access “one-stop shop” service at the DRC and receive assistance with additional registration needs such as case inquiries and updates. Subject matter experts from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the American Red Cross will be available at the DRC.

While visiting the DRC is not required, an in-person visit following registration often proves extremely helpful to survivors in understanding the entire range of possible assistance for which they may be eligible.

CNMI, Red Cross and FEMA Announce Enhanced Aid for Typhoon Soudelor Survivors

SAIPAN, CNMI – The government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), the American Red Cross (ARC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced an expansion of enhanced resource assistance for Saipan residents affected by Typhoon Soudelor. Using FEMA supplies, the ARC, which has already provided assistance to some 3,000 residents, will make the aid available.

Residents already registered with the ARC and are considered to have the greatest need will be processed first, said the ARC’s Operations Director, Denise Everhart.

ARC has a list of more than 3,000 individuals who have called into the chapter looking for assistance and is calling those with greatest need to do one-on-one casework. ARC will then supply Client assistance Cards with some money for fuel, phone, and laundry as well as tarps, water, buckets, hygiene supplies, food and other supplies. This will be continued, until the list is complete.

If there are limiting factors, where people cannot get to the designated ARC Chapter, located at 1 Airport Road, please call the ARC at 670-234-3459, and the ARC will work with FEMA and CNMI to accommodate those individuals on a case-by-case basis.

“Working through the CNMI Government and the American Red Cross is the best and fastest way to get the basic life sustaining supplies into the hands of the residents of Saipan that need them most,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer, Steve DeBlasio.

“These supplies will go a long way in allowing the government of CNMI and the rest of our federal and private sector partners to create solutions to problems.” DeBlasio also thanked the US Navy and the US Marine Corps for their assistance in supporting the humanitarian mission on Saipan, and praised the resilience and patience of the citizens of the CNMI.

Additional supplies to what FEMA already had on the ground in CNMI were transported from Guam on the USS Ashland last Saturday. That cargo contained generators of various sizes, as well as large amounts of food, drinking water, tents, and vital heavy equipment needed to move the larger generators. The USS Ashland is expected to off-load Guam Power Authority heavy equipment on Saipan this morning.This equipment will help to expedite the restoration of electrical infrastructure here in Saipan.

“The residents of Saipan have been resilient, patient, and extremely hospitable under very trying and austere circumstances,” DeBlasio said. “They deserve our thanks and our help.”

DeBlasio also encouraged disaster survivors on Saipan to continue to register for FEMA assistance by calling 1-800-621 FEMA (3362), adding that more than 2,500 households had already done so.

Original article:

CNMI, Red Cross and FEMA Announce Enhanced Aid for Typhoon Soudelor Survivors

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