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assessment of damage to the area. FEMA calls this assessment a Preliminary Damage Assessment
(PDA) in spite of the fact that it is the second damage assessment to take place. Out of this second joint
assessment will come an estimate of the types and extent of federal disaster assistance that may be
required.
Federal, state, county, and local governments must work together in any major emergency. The
emergency assistance system is based on each level of government assisting the next lower level when it is
overwhelmed by the scope of destruction caused by a disaster.
If a local initial damage assessment results in identifying the need for resources beyond local capability,
the County EMA Director should be notified immediately. He/she will contact the State EOC to relay
requests for aid the County cannot fill. All State resources assigned to local disaster recovery remain
under the control of the State. Local damage assessment, the report to the County EMA Director,
and the request for assistance are the responsibility of the Local EMA working through the County
EMA. It is the County EMA s responsibility to train the local jurisdictions in the damage assessment
procedure. MEMA is prepared to assist this effort through its training section.
A governor's request for a declaration can result in three responses from the federal government, each with
a different form of assistance. The federal government could:
1. Issue a presidential declaration of a MAJOR DISASTER which would free all the resources of the
federal government for assistance to meet documented needs. .
2. Issue a presidential declaration of EMERGENCY which would focus on specific assistance needed to
supplement state and local efforts to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety; or lessen the
threat of future disaster.
3. Provide DIRECT ASSISTANCE from various federal departments through their own emergency or
normal programs without a presidential declaration.
Guidelines for County EMA Directors 29 July 1999
If the President declares an EMERGENCY or MAJOR DISASTER, a Federal Coordinating Officer
(FCO) will be assigned to coordinate federal assistance. The governor will appoint a State Coordinating
Officer (SCO), usually the MEMA Director. The SCO is the main liaison between the FCO and State,
county, and local officials.
Once on the scene, the FCO is responsible for an initial appraisal of needed assistance. The FCO is also
responsible for coordinating all the federal agencies and programs involved in assistance.
Public assistance (Infrastructure support) is available to state, county, and local governments; Indian
Tribes; and some private non-profit organizations. Under a presidential disaster declaration, applications
may be approved to fund a variety of projects including: clearance of debris; emergency protective
measures; repair of roads; repair or restoration of water control facilities; repair and replacement of public
buildings and equipment; repair or replacement of public utilities; repair or restoration of public facilities
damaged while under construction; repair or restoration of recreational facilities and parks; and repair or
replacement of some private non-profit (PNP) education, utility, emergency, medical, and custodial care
facilities, including those for the aged or disabled.
The federal reimbursement for governments may include damages to infrastructure, administrative costs,
fuel, supplies, and labor costs for base pay or overtime for regular and "special hire" employees. PNPs are
only eligible for repair or restoration of buildings and grounds to their pre-disaster condition.
Individual Assistance provides assistance to individuals, families, and small businesses affected by the
disaster. It is important to know that this is a complicated process with a definite order of program
eligibility. There is a prerequisite for the Individual and Family Grant Program(IFG) that involves each
applicant to submit an application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a loan. IFG can t
consider an application (except for medical, funeral, and other immediate needs) until SBA turns them
down or gives them too small a loan to address the needs. These complicated programs frequently have
changing rules for eligibility so check the latest guidance for up-to-date requirements.
Citizens apply for disaster assistance through an 1-800 teleregistration number. A Disaster Recovery
Center (DRC) may be set up in the county to offer additional information following the teleregistration
process. Such a center is usually staffed with federal, state, county, and local officials, as well as
representatives from the private relief organizations. A DRC is a "one-stop" center because it is designed
to bring representatives from various assistance agencies together under one roof. The establishment of a
DRC makes it much simpler for disaster victims to get information about the assistance available. Getting
assistance to individual disaster victims is the first priority in the recovery effort.
Examples of the types of assistance for individuals are listed below. Please note that not all people are
eligible for all programs listed, and all programs are not available in every disaster.
" Temporary housing/minimal repair/possibly mortgage payments
" Unemployment payments
" Low interest SBA loans to individuals and businesses
" Food stamps
" Individual and family grants
" Legal services
" Crisis counseling
Guidelines for County EMA Directors 30 July 1999
" Veterans' assistance
" Agricultural assistance
" Income Tax counseling
" Red Cross services
Not all of these services are always physically represented in the DRC, but when a representative from the
program is not in the DRC, telephone numbers will be made available.
The following assistance may be available without a Presidential Declaration:
" Tax Refunds
" Repairs to Federal Aid System Roads
" Economic Development & Adjustment Assistance Grants
" Watercourse Navigation: Protection, Clearing, and Straightening Channels
" Watershed Protection
" Emergency Loans for Agriculture
" Emergency Conservation Program
" Disaster Loans for Homeowners and Business
" Health and Welfare
" Dept. of Defense Pre-declaration Emergency Assistance
" Search and Rescue
" Flood Protection
" Voluntary Agency Assistance
" Food Stamps
The private relief efforts of the American National Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Mennonite
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