You never know who you will need to call on for assistance during a disaster; unforeseen issues will arise, and you may need to call on a neighboring city or county, your state, or even your Congressman for assistance. Although it’s difficult, near impossible, to predict who will be able to provide what your… Read more
Planning for a natural disaster is a constant process. Although no disaster plan is ever perfect, localities that regularly review and update policies and procedures, staffing and stakeholders’ roles, and funding options are better able to manage the response and recovery effort when a disaster does strike. One of the key components to any… Read more
This FEMA fact sheet describes the types of services available under FEMA’s , which include housing assistance and other needs assistance. The IHP program provides financial help or direct services to disaster survivors who have necessary expenses and serious needs but are unable to meet these needs through other means. Fact Sheet: What is FEMA’s… Read more
If you choose not to register with FEMA, you disqualify yourself from receiving federal disaster assistance. Potential FEMA applicants should read through this informational article from FEMA, which outlines the reasons why homeowners should register with FEMA assistance even if they think their damages and losses won’t be covered. Don’t Disqualify Yourself By Not… Read more
Homeowner appeals during the recovery process are inevitable and time-consuming, they should be a last resort for applicants. IBTS has processed close to 2,500 homes for programs receiving funding from the the HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, and been able to mitigate nearly all homeowner appeals — saving the locality and the applicant valuable… Read more
Without a comprehensive debris management plan, the debris removal process can escalate into one of the most difficult and expensive response tasks after a natural disaster. The first step in a long road to recovery, a quick debris removal can set the tone for the entire recovery process and build the community’s confidence in… Read more
State and local officials responsible for disaster planning and management should always keep abreast of changes in the Stafford Act, especially those related to reimbursement. Debris removal, for example, is one of the most expensive operations in a disaster recovery effort. To keep costs down, FEMA introduced four new alternative procedure pilot projects that… Read more
The following FEMA online independent study courses introduce the fundamental framework of federal disaster response. In addition, specialized courses focusing on the and National Response Framework (NRF) from the perspective of specific roles are listed below: IS-2900 — National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) Overview IS-100.b — Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100 IS-700.a — National Incident Management… Read more
The Federal Highway Administration provides basic information and a wide range of resources to inform localities and states on the administration’s Emergency Relief Program. States must apply to the Federal Highway Administration, not FEMA, for funding to supplement state and federal assistance to repair damage to federal highways or roads on federal land caused by natural disasters.… Read more
If properly managed and engaged, local elected officials can be a great asset to disaster response and recovery operations. Below, Ken Parker, retired city manager of Port Orange, Florida, provides advice for city managers on how best to engage elected officials and use their strengths to boost morale across the community. “Don’t be afraid to… Read more
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