Include project timelines, cost estimates and designated roles and responsibilities in written project execution plans to help ensure FEMA compliance. Seek help from your Public Assistance Coordinator (PAC) to provide technical assistance and ensure projects are compliant with Public Assistance guidelines.
Natural disasters often strike with little warning. However, if your locality is in an area that experiences disasters in a particular season (such as hurricanes or severe snowstorms), taking a proactive approach to disaster planning each year as the season approaches can make a noticeable difference in your ability to respond and recover if a disaster… Read more
Regular, consistent communications are crucial functions of incident command during a natural disaster. During the response phase, it can be easy to lose track of stakeholders outside the immediate response team. Use these guidelines to identify gaps in the stakeholders identified in your communications plan during the disaster planning process. New staff members who are… Read more
Throughout the disaster recovery process, local governments must ensure that all communications efforts send a consistent, accurate message to citizens, the media, vendors, the business community, volunteers and internal departments. This is much more easily managed with a single point of contact for communications. This contact will typically be the designated Public Information Officer (PIO),… Read more
During disaster response and recovery, mass messaging allows the community to hear the same message at the same time. This not only helps reducing the burden on public information officers, it also prevents confusion and misinformation. Use these tips to help manage make your mass messages more effective. Have clear roles and responsibilities for creating and sending… Read more
Use a Disaster Recovery Group (DRG) to identify funding sources and solutions, provide volunteer coordination, disbursement of goods and outreach to contractors and other stakeholders. Consider hiring a third-party administrator to help manage the application process when volunteer-led DRGs cannot handle the process.
Following a natural disaster, most communities want as much information as possible from FEMA; yet communicating with FEMA is often a new process for local officials. Use these tips to help communicate with FEMA during funding disbursement. FEMA Public Assistance Coordinators (PAC) can be used to inform localities about special considerations such as insurance, hazard mitigation opportunities,… Read more
Distribute checklists outlining documentation and program requirements to homeowners. Encourage homeowners to photograph any and all damage before repairs begin, in addition to writing a description of damages. Make homeowners aware of all long-term funding opportunities as they are made available, especially HUD’s Community Disaster Block Grant Recovery Program.
Grantees must ensure that they are following proper documentation and program requirements in order to ensure that they are compliant with the CDBG-DR program. Yet this can be easier said than done. Staff managing the recovery process can be overwhelmed with additional work. Follow these tips to make sure that your program is able to… Read more
Following a disaster, public information officers, and local leaders, officials and staff will need to communicate with homeowners about FEMA Individual Assistance (IA). Homeowners can apply for assistance in recovering from a disaster through the FEMA IA program. First, let homeowners know about the availability of FEMA Individual Assistance. Following a disaster declaration, homeowners… Read more
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