FEMA’S NEW SNOW ASSISTANCE COST REIMBURSEMENT POLICY Effective November 2009

1. FEMA’S NEW SNOW ASSISTANCE COST REIMBURSEMENT POLICY Effective November 2009

2. Changes to Policy FEMA Will Only Support a Major Disaster Declaration for Snow Assistance

3. Snow Assistance Declaration • SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ELIGIBILITY • First Step… • COUNTY RECORD/NEAR RECORD SNOWFALL REQUIREMENT and Contiguous County • Second Step… • COUNTY AND COMMONWEALTH PER CAPITAS • 30 Days for Commonwealth to submit a Declaration Request to FEMA

4. Historic Snowfall Requirements SNOW ASSISTANCE DECLARATION Highest Current Snowfall Reported to National Weather Service NWS) Within the County will be Compared to the Highest HistoricalRecord for the County Without Regard to Month. For Multiple Day Events, the Corresponding Single-day or Multiple-day Historical Record is used for the Comparison. (7:00 a.m.to 7:00 a.m. is considered a day)

5. Historic Snowfall Requirements • SNOW ASSISTANCE DECLARATION • FEMA Uses the Records as Verified by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) at NOAA • Counties Not Havinga NWS Cooperative Network Station Data, Can Use the Nearest NWS Cooperative Network Station in an Adjacent County or State

6. Snow Assistance Declaration • NEAR RECORD • Near record snowfall is where the events snowfall is • within 10% of record amount. • CONTIGUOUS COUNTY • Is a county that DOES NOT RECEIVE record or near record snowfall, but is contiguous to a county in the same state that did meet the record or nearrecordsnowfall criteria. • Must have received an EQUAL OR GREATER amount of • snowfall to the county with the record or near record • amount.

7. Snow Assistance Declaration • Cannot combine snowfall from both storms. • Record amounts must have fallen on either: • February 5 – 6 • or • February 9-11

8. Snow Assistance Declaration Record, near record contiguous counties: • Adams • Allegheny • Armstrong • Bedford • Blair • Cambria • Cumberland • Dauphin • Delaware • Fayette • Lancaster • Philadelphia • Somerset • York

9. Snow Assistance Declaration Requiring additional NWS data: • Beaver • Bradford • Butler • Chester • Greene • Huntingdon • Indiana • Lebanon • Perry • Schuylkill • Washington • Westmoreland

10. Snow Assistance Declaration • WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE • County & Municipal Governments • Municipal Authorities • Public and Parochial School Districts • Private Colleges and Universities and Hospitals • Certain Types of Private Non-Profits to • include Volunteer Fire Companies • State Agencies

11. Snow Assistance Declaration • SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ELIGIBILITY • PER CAPITA THRESHOLDS • Per Capita Thresholds MUST BE MET by the Historic, Near Historic • and Contiguous Counties - NO OTHER COUNTIES COSTS CAN BE • USED • - Counties $3.23 per Person (2000 Census) • - Commonwealth $1.29 per Person = $15.9M • County Expenses + State Agency Expenses = County Threshold Amount • - The per capita thresholds are based on snow removal costs within a continuous 48-hour window and other Emergency Protective Measure costs.

12. Snow Assistance Declaration • TYPES OF ELIGIBLE WORK • Category “B” (Emergency Protective Measures): • “Actions taken by an applicant before, during, and after a disaster • to save lives, protect public health and safety, and prevent • damage to improved public and private property. Emergency • communications and emergency public transportation costs may • be eligible, but only through Direct Federal Assistance by a federal • agency.” • - Public Assistance Policy Digest, FEMA 321

13. Snow Assistance Declaration • TYPES OF ELIGIBLE WORK • Category “B” - Emergency Protective Measures within… • All Snow Plowing, Salting and Sanding - Continuous48-hour Period • Sheltering / Mass Care • Related Emergency Work including EOC Operations • Search and Rescue • Security Forces in the Impacted Area • Provision of Emergency Medical Care • Bracing and Shoring of Damaged Applicant Structures • Provision of Food, Water, Ice and other Essential Needs at • Distribution Points for use by Local Populations • Emergency Repairs and Demolition • Removal of Health and Safety Hazards

14. Snow Assistance Declaration • TYPES OF ELIGIBLE LABOR COSTS • Only Overtime/Extra Time for Full-Time/Scheduled staff • Regular and Overtime Labor Costs are Eligible for • Non-budgeted Employees Specifically Assigned to • Perform Emergency Work. • This Includes: • Temporary/Seasonal Employees • Essential Employees Called Back from • Administrative Leave

15. Snow Assistance Declaration • Ineligible Labor Cost • Salaries of Commissioners, Mayors, Department Directors, Police and Fire Chiefs, and Other Administrators .

16. Snow Assistance Declaration • TYPES OF ELIGIBLE COST • Force Account Materials • Quantities of materials and location where used. • Copies of invoices and proof of payment for replacement • materials. • Force Account Equipment • Base costs on FEMA Equipment Rates. • Rates include usage, maintenance and fuel. • If rented exclusively for event, capture full rental • cost.

17. Snow Assistance Declaration • Contracted Services • FEMA Recognizes Three Types of Contracts: Lump Sum, Unit Price, Cost Plus Fixed Fee. • FEMAdislikes time and materials contractspast 70 hours, andcontractor contingencies • Cost Plus a Percentage Contracts are NOT eligible • Contracted services • Copy of municipal declaration waiving normal bidding and procurement process or copy of public bid or copies of contracted services and agreements. • - Itemized breakout of billing by storm • - Copy of invoices

18. Snow Assistance Declaration • USEFUL DOCUMENTATION • Employee Timesheets • - Should identify areas in which work was performed • - What equipment, if applicable, was operated • - Fringe benefits, if applicable • - Copy of union contract(s) that require specific rates of • pay • Equipment Logs • - Should identify operator • - Location of work • - Standby time is NOT eligible • - FEMA Cost Code Rates are all inclusive (fuel, etc.) • - Identify number of hours used/assigned equipment number

19. Required PDA Cost Documentation • Accurate verifiable estimatesfor labor, equipment, materials and contract costs. • PDA Team may visit to review costs or applicants may need to forward documentation to PEMA for review. • FEMA will perform sample validation checks on the estimates provided. Some applicants will have to provide cost documents. • REMEMBER: STATE AGENCY EXPENSES COUNT TOWARDS COUNTY THRESHOLDS. State agencies are being requested to submit similar reports to PEMA for inclusion in county totals.

20. Severe Winter Storm Declaration • For Blizzards and Ice Storms • Substantial Physical Damage or Losses to Public Property. • DO NOT have to meet the Record, Near Record Snowfall. • Must meet per capita with other costs besides snow removal costs – • No 48 hour limit. • General Snow Clearing of Roads is Not Eligible • “Snow removal to perform other types of eligible emergency work is eligible…(to get to downed power lines)” • Can Use All Storm Costs From All Affected Counties to Calculate Commonwealth Per-Capita

21. Summary of the Process • Snow Event • Compare Event for Record or Near Record • What Are Our Costs? • Submit Cost Estimates to PEMA • Determine Type of Declaration to Request • 30 Days to Make the Request • Applicants Briefing • Submit Cost Documents for contiguous 48 Hour Costs

22. Additional Information Mr. Chris Evans PEMA Public Assistance Officer Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation 2605 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-651-2171 or chrevans@state.pa.us Actual Text of Policy: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-26817.htm

23. Additional Information Submitting Costs using a Detail Form

24. Questions?