Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

1. Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

2. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program • Replaces the Fire Suppression Assistance Program • Effective for all fires declared on or after October 30, 2001

3. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Section 420 of the Stafford Act • Allows for “mitigation, management and control of fires burning on publicly or privately owned forest or grassland which threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.

4. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Section 420 of the Stafford Act • Allows for assistance under Section 403, essential Assistance (emergency work. • Allows for State, Indian Tribal Governments and local entities to apply through the Grantee (TDEM) for subgrants

5. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Synopsis • The program falls under the Public Assistance Program of FEMA. • The program provides supplemental assistance to state and local governments on a 75% Federal/25% Applicant match.

6. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Thresholds In order for a fire to be declared by FEMA, it must meet one of two thresholds • Individual Fire Cost Threshold $1,687,325 (CY 2012) • Cumulative Fire Cost Threshold $5,091,976 (CY 2012)

7. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Individual Fire Example Aircraft time/fuel $886,000 TFS manpower costs $531,000 Other State costs $231,000 Local cost $ 50,000 $1,698,000 This is worthy of being requested as it is over $1,697,325

8. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Cumulative Fire Example Total cost of all fires from beginning of calendar year through Mar 30 $4,485,000 Whitaker Fire Apr 8 $100,000 – no 4.5 Ferguson Fire Apr 20 $100,000 – no 4.6 Dailey Fire May 2 $410,000 – yes $5,095,000 The Dailey Fire is worthy of being requested as it put the cumulative over $5,091,976

9. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Tracking Thresholds • Costs are tracked by TFS on a daily basis in association with each fire, done through the TFS web site.

10. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Major Disaster Considerations • Threat to lives and improved property, including threats to critical facilities/infrastructure, and critical watershed areas • Availability of State and local firefighting resources

11. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Considerations Cont. • High fire danger conditions, as indicated by nationally accepted indices such as the National Fire Danger Ratings System • Potential major economic impact

12. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Appeals • TDEM may appeal the denial of a request for declaration. • The appeal is a one time request for consideration and is determined by the Assistant Director Cont.

13. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Appeals Continued Scenario 1 - Conditions Worsen Resubmit a 90-58 Request Scenario 2 - New information received (Have to be submitted within 60 days of turndown)

14. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved Local jurisdiction submits a Request for Fire Mitigation Assistance FEMA Form 089-0-24. State agencies will be separate applicants from the local jurisdictions (Within 30 days of the end of the fire)

15. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved After submitting a request, TDEM Public Assistance Staff will begin meeting with applicants and writing up firefighting project worksheets

16. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved After all costs have been written up and verified, TDEM will submit a grant application to FEMA. (within 9 months of declaration with the possibility of a 3-month extension)

17. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved The only exception currently to the 9-month period is for the US Forest Service.

18. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved After receipt of the request, FEMA will review the costs and approve or deny the grant application. (within 45 days of receipt)

19. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After a Fire Declaration is Approved FEMA obligates funding to TDEM. TDEM then makes payment to applicant (sub-grantee) Sub-grantee (applicant) makes payment to sub-applicants

20. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program After Payment All applicants are subject to Audit -- keep all documents and supporting material a minimum of 3 years from the date of final payment.

21. Fire Management Assistance Grant Program Flowchart TDEM submits SF-424 and 20-16a/b to FEMA Declaration is approved Recovery staff and locals develop project worksheets Fire Begins Request for FMAG declaration FEMA makes obligation to TDEM FEMA form 90-58 is completed Declaration is denied Appeal of denial TDEM makes payments to locals Denial accepted

22. Incident Period • The time interval when the declared fire occurs • The Regional Administrator, in consultation with the Governors Authorized Representative (GAR) and Principal Advisor, will establish the incident period • Generally, costs must be incurred during the incident period to be considered eligible

23. Applicant Eligibility • The following entities are eligible to apply through a Grantee (State) for a subgrant: • State agencies; • Local governments; and • Indian tribal governments • Privately owned entities and volunteer firefighting organizations, may be reimbursed through a contract or compact with an eligible applicant for eligible costs associated with the declared fire or fire complex

24. Applicant Eligibility • Applicant eligibility is contingent upon a finding that the Incident Commander or comparable State official requested assistance from the applying entity. • The activities performed must be: • the legal responsibility of the applying entity; • required as the result of the declared fire; and • located within the designated area

25. Mutual Aid Agreements • FEMA Disaster Assistance Policy, DAP 9523.6 • The reimbursement provisions of a mutual aid agreement must not be contingent on a declaration of an emergency, major disaster, or fire by the Federal government.

26. Mutual Aid Agreements • Pre-Event Written Mutual Aid Agreements. • FEMA encourages parties to address the subject of reimbursement in their written mutual aid agreements. FEMA will honor the reimbursement provisions in a pre-event agreement to the extent they meet the requirements of this policy.

27. Mutual Aid Agreements • When a pre-event agreement provides for reimbursement, but also provides for an initial period of unpaid assistance, FEMA will pay the eligible costs of assistance after such initial unpaid period.

28. Mutual Aid Agreements • When a pre-event agreement specifies that no reimbursement will be provided for mutual aid assistance, FEMA will not pay for the costs of assistance.

29. Mutual Aid Agreements • When the parties do not have a pre-event written mutual aid agreement, or where a written pre-event agreement is silent on reimbursement, the Requesting and Providing Entities may verbally agree on the type and extent of mutual aid resources to be provided in the current event, and on the terms, conditions, and costs of such assistance.

30. Mutual Aid Agreements • Post-event verbal agreements: • must be documented in writing • executed by an official of each entity with authority to request and provide assistance • provided to FEMA as a condition of receiving reimbursement. • The agreement should be consistent with past practices for mutual-aid between the parties. A written post-event agreement should be submitted within 30 days of the Requesting Entity’s Applicant’s Briefing.

31. Eligible Costs • Costs for equipment and supplies (less insurance) • Costs for emergency work • Costs for State Operations Center • Costs for personal comfort and safety items for firefighters • Costs for field camps and meals in lieu of per diem • Costs for mobilization and demobilization • Costs for temporary repair of damage cased by firefighting activities • Costs for mitigation, management and control of declared fires burning on co-mingled Federal land.

32. Eligible Costs Essential Assistance • Sheltering and evacuations • Animal control and evacuations • Police barricading and traffic control • Public information dissemination • Search and rescue • Arson investigation • Extraordinary emergency operation center costs • Limited removal of fire-damaged trees threatening public safety

33. Eligible Costs • Items that occur outside the Incident Period, but are directly related to Incident Period: • Pre-positioning of Federal, out-of-State, and international resources for up to a maximum of 21 days • Temporary repair of damage caused by firefighting activities • Mobilization and demobilization

34. Eligible Labor • Overtime for permanent or reassigned State and local employees hired for eligible firefighting activities • Regular time and overtime for temporary and contract employees hired for eligible firefighting activities

35. Eligible Costs • Temporary Repair of Damage Caused By Firefighting • Repair bulldozer lines, camping and staging areas to address public safety concerns • Repair facilities damaged by firefighting activities (e.g., fences and roads) • All such work must be completed within 30 days of the close of the incident period

36. Ineligible Costs • Costs incurred in the mitigation, management, and control of undeclared fires • Costs related to planning, pre-suppression, and recovery activities • Costs for the straight or regular time salaries and benefits of a subgrantee’s permanently employed or reassigned personnel • Costs for a declared fire burning on co-mingled Federal land when such costs are reimbursable to the State by another Federal agency

37. Documentation • FEMA Form: • 089-0-24 Request for Fire Management Assistance • Eligible applicant must complete within 30 days (also complete Designation of Applicant Agent and Direct Deposit Form)

38. Claim Forms

39. Documentation • Mutual Aid Agreements • Complete agreement or contract with signatures and date

40. FEMA Form 90-123 Force Account Labor Summary Documentation

41. Documentation • Supporting documents (Labor Summary Record) • Time sheets/cards; pay schedule/rate; payroll journals • dispatch sheets with names; sign-in/out sheets

42. Claim Forms

43. Documentation • FEMA Form 90-127 • Force Account Equipment Summary

44. Documentation • Supporting documents (Equipment Summary Record) • Dispatch sheets; sign-in/out logs • Equipment usage log • Equipment invoices • Rental documentation • Proof of equipment ownership

45. Claim Forms

46. Documentation • FEMA Form 90-124 • Materials Summary

47. Documentation • Supporting documents (Materials Summary Record) • Invoices • Receipts • proof of payment • Cancelled checks – credit card billing • Purchase orders • Inventory cost records

48. Claim Forms

49. Documentation • The earlier you turn-in claim request information the sooner a project worksheet can be prepared for funding.

50. Web links • FEMA Forms • http://www.fema.gov/help/forms.shtm (pdf) • http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/fmagp/forms.shtm (xls workbook) • Equipment Codes/Rates • http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/eqrates.shtm (pdf)