Disaster recovery focuses on restoration, redevelopment, and revitalization of the health, social, economic, natural and environmental fabric of the community and building a more resilient Nation.
Every community is different. Every disaster is different. EM Partners works with those affected by a disaster to understand their unique needs; then customizes an approach that is best suited for their partner. For over two decades our staff has provided support to all levels of government and private sector clients in the management of disaster recovery, grant writing and administration, and finding additional recovery funds that were put back into the communities. FEMA has relied on our staff to handle their regulatory program administrative challenges and all aspects of disaster documentation, including grant application processes. With our expertise, the grant management processes are completed well ahead of schedule, helping communities rebuild and become more resilient.
While helping communities focus their resources on their primary goals of rebuilding infrastructure and support services, EM Partners can also guide communities towards hazard mitigation grant funding to improve readiness and help avoid loss in the future.
From recovery processes, grants management and maximization to strategic, comprehensive program development, we bring expertise that spans the entire spectrum of emergency management.
When the President declares a disaster, funds are made available through the FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program and other federal programs. These programs support communities to recover from major disasters by providing them with grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure. Local governments, states, tribes, territories and certain private nonprofit organizations that provide critical community services are eligible to apply. EM Partners provides expertise and support through the entire Grants Management Process.
FEMA’s Cost Estimating Format (CEF) is a uniform methodology that is applied when determining the cost of eligible permanent work for large construction projects. EM Partners provides skilled technical specialists to partner with grant applicants to develop clear damage descriptions and scopes of work that capture the work needed to repair, restore or replace facilities damaged as a result of a declared disaster.
If your community is in a Presidentially declared zone, and you have incurred losses, EM Partners can help you navigate the insurance claim process to determine insurance eligibility. This is one of the first steps in determining eligibility for Public Assistance.
As a condition of receiving grant reimbursement, there may be mandates for specific minimal standards in financial management that must be followed. EM Partners can help in preparing reports, tracing funds, and demonstrating internal control and accountability for all cash, personal property, and other assets. EM Partners know the regulations, forms, and codes, and details for walking you through the process, and keeping you compliant.
Under the disaster recovery Reform Act, an applicant for FEMA Public Assistance receiving an unfavorable determination may request an appeal and arbitration with the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA). EM Partners knows the rules and regulations on appeals and can step you through the process for a more favorable outcome.
Hazard Mitigation can be assessed based on actual damage from a recent disaster or as a broader scope program to fund mitigation projects for both damaged and non-damaged facilities to help alleviate future impacts of repeated damage. EM Partners firmly believes that hazard mitigation is an integral and important part of the emergency management cycle. Every dollar spent on hazard mitigation saves the public approximately four dollars in avoided disaster recovery costs from a future disaster.
Section 406 Mitigation applies to disaster-damaged facilities and is frequently underused by FEMA in a recovery environment.
Under section 404 Mitigation, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) federal recovery costs for a declared disaster are made available for entities wishing to implement hazard mitigation measures to portions of their facilities that were not impacted by the disaster but that could help prevent future disaster damages.
Applicants must consider the whole range of program requirements, including EHP requirements, from the beginning and throughout project development. EM Partners can help increase the efficiency of the review by ensuring that EHP requirements are addressed at the earliest stage possible and consequently reduce the need for additional requests for information, potentially preventing future delays. EM Partners understands the requirements to comply with all applicable environmental and historic preservation laws and regulations.
AARs provide an opportunity to assess what happened and why. They are learning-focused discussions that are designed to help the team and the organization’s leaders discover what to do differently. A benefit of the After-Action Review process is improved communication and feedback within teams themselves. Because the focus is on learning, the process itself leads to an improved understanding of team performance and helps people think about how best to work together to produce better results.
EM Partners can develop post-incident After Action Reviews (AARs) to help identify key operational issues around the framework associated with response, coordination, and incident management. We help identify key operational successes and opportunities for improvement associated with incident response and produce an integrated report that identifies the conditions, establishes the process, and communicates operational issues and recommended solutions that help improve preparedness for future events.
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