The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced last week that it has approved an additional $9,232,418 to reimburse the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for emergency protective measures during and after Hurricane Michael which hit Florida back in October 2018.
The funds reimburse FDEM for costs associated with deploying personnel from dozens of law enforcement agencies throughout the state to assist with security, traffic control and other law enforcement functions in counties that were designated for federal disaster assistance after the storm. This brings the total reimbursement to FDEM for Hurricane Michael to $135.8 million.
This grant is funded by FEMA’s Public Assistance program, an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. FDEM works with FEMA during all phases of the program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects to FDEM after final approval.
Once a project is obligated, FDEM works closely with applicants to finalize grants and begin making payments. FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
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