Louisiana: Request for Public Assistance Deadline Approaches

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana governments and certain private nonprofits affected by August’s severe storms and floods must submit their Request for Public Assistance (RPA) by Saturday, Oct. 15, for FEMA to consider them for Public Assistance (PA). 

FEMA’s PA program may assist eligible applicants with disaster-related expenses such as debris removal, managing the immediate response, and repairing or rebuilding facilities, buildings, roads and bridges.

City, parish and state government entities in the following parishes are eligible to submit RPAs: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Private nonprofits that provide critical services—such as education, law enforcement, emergency services, healthcare and utilities—may also submit RPAs.

Organizations that provide non-critical, essential services must also apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in addition to submitting an RPA. FEMA may assist with expenses the SBA loan does not cover.

Governments and private nonprofits that sustained disaster-related costs and want to seek funding must first register at sam.gov to participate. They may find RPA forms online at louisianapa.com/site/resources.cfm.

Contact your parish’s emergency management director for more information. You may also email eRPA.help@la.gov or call 225-376-5330.

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Louisiana: Request for Public Assistance Deadline Approaches

Nonprofits Should Notify the State of Damage in Case a Public Assistance Grant Is Needed

Certain private nonprofit organizations that experienced damage from Hurricane Sandy may qualify for reimbursement of certain costs under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program.

The program reimburses government entities, tribal nations and nonprofits for debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure to pre-disaster condition.

Federal regulations separate nonprofits into two categories: critical facilities, such as schools, utility companies, emergency service companies and hospitals; and noncritical facilities, such as low-income housing, assisted living homes and rehabilitation programs. Both may apply for reimbursement of eligible expenses under the PA program.

However, noncritical facilities must also apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a low-interest disaster loan. If SBA declines the loan, or if the loan does not cover all eligible damage, FEMA may be able to provide cost-shared assistance.

Applicants submit their formal Request for Public Assistance to the state. For more information, nonprofit organizations should contact Connecticut’s Public Assistance program at 860-256-0801.

Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland and Windham counties, and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations within New London County are designated for PA. The deadline for submitting a Request for Public Assistance to the state is Dec. 30.

Under the program, the state is the grantee, and the applicants are the subgrantees. In other words, FEMA grants the money to the state, which distributes the funds to the applicants after all documentation is received.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and covers 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.

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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Nonprofits Should Notify the State of Damage in Case a Public Assistance Grant Is Needed

FEMA’s Public Assistance Dollars Help Rebuild Connecticut Communities

WINDSOR, Conn. — Public Assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency help Connecticut communities recoup much of the costs for Hurricane Sandy response and recovery.

The grants reimburse eligible jurisdictions a minimum of 75 percent of the costs for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged infrastructure – such as utilities, hospitals and city halls – to pre-disaster condition.  The state and its agencies, local jurisdictions, tribal nations and certain nonprofit organizations may apply for reimbursement under the program.

“Public Assistance helps communities overwhelmed by the cost of response and recovery efforts,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis of FEMA. “It’s vital that critical services and facilities that contribute to the life of the community be restored.”

Eligible work is divided into two categories:

  • Emergency work, which includes emergency protective measures, and removal and disposal of disaster-related debris; and
  • Permanent work, which includes repair or replacement of roads and bridges; water control facilities; public buildings and contents; public utilities; and parks, recreational and other facilities.

Emergency work must be completed within six months of the disaster declaration, and permanent work within 18 months.

The state of Connecticut, with FEMA support, is conducting Applicants’ Briefings for local jurisdictions interested in applying for Public Assistance. The applicants can ask questions, clarify issues and submit their 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 and prepare applications. To qualify for Public Assistance, applicants must document eligibility of the facilities and work, and the costs must be reasonable.

Under the program, the state is the grantee, and state agencies, local and tribal governments, and eligible nonprofit organizations are the subgrantees. In other words, FEMA grants the money to the state, which then distributes the funds to the applicants after all 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.

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FEMA’s Public Assistance Dollars Help Rebuild Connecticut Communities

State, Local Private Nonprofits In New Jersey Get 30 More Days To Request Fema Public Assistance Grants

TRENTON, N.J. — Deadlines to apply for Public Assistance (PA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been extended to December 30, 2012 for all 21 counties.

Michael Hall, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer, granted the extension following a request from

the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management. The PA program is a reimbursement program where the federal government provides 75 percent of eligible costs.

In the request for an extension, the state cited the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Sandy and the tremendous increase in the number of organizations submitting a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) that have never before been involved in the PA process.

As of December 3, FEMA has received 1,098 requests for Public Assistance, conducted 630 kick-off meetings, and approved 24 large projects totaling, $57,729,003.

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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State, Local Private Nonprofits In New Jersey Get 30 More Days To Request Fema Public Assistance Grants