EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PREPAREDNESS AND ASSISTANCE – COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM
The Division of Emergency Management gives notice of its intent to open the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 application cycle for competitive awards from the Emergency Management, Preparedness, and Assistance (EMPA) Trust Fund. The application cycle officially opens December 7, 2007 with an application submission deadline of February 7, 2008. Contingent on a Legislative appropriation, funds provided under the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 cycle will be available to award recipients no earlier than July 1, 2008.
Due to the uncertainty of the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Legislative Appropriations, the amount of funds available for this program cannot be determined at this time. As soon as the appropriation is approved, notification of these funds will be posted on our website at www.floridadisaster.org/cps/grants.htm.
The Division encourages all interested and eligible parties with projects that will enhance emergency management capabilities within the State of
As provided for in Rule Chapter 9G-19, F.A.C., two programs offering competitive awards encompassing four separate categories are available as follows:
PROGRAMS:
1) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM – (General) Provides competitive grants to state or regional agencies, local governments, and private non-profit organizations to implement projects that will further state and local emergency management objectives. Eligible applicants may submit multiple applications; however, no single application shall seek or receive an award in excess of $200,000. All eligible applicants, with the exception of counties shall be limited to no more than three (3) application submissions in an application cycle.
2) MUNICIPAL COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM – Provides competitive grants to municipalities that are legally constituted, have an authorized, established, and maintained emergency management program; have a signed current Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement (SMAA) and have supplied all required information and documentation such that the SMAA is ready to be signed by the Division of Emergency Management by the date of the application deadline. Each Municipal Emergency Management Program may apply for one competitive grant under this program, not to exceed $50,000 in requested grant funds.
APPLICATION CATEGORIES:
Applications are accepted in the following four categories under both programs:
1) Projects that will promote public education on disaster preparedness and recovery issues.
2) Projects that will enhance coordination of relief efforts of statewide private sector organizations, including public-private business partnership efforts.
3) Projects that will improve the training and operations capabilities of agencies assigned lead or support responsibilities in the Florida Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
4) Other projects that will further state and local emergency management objectives designated as priorities in the applicable Notice of Funding Availability. NOTE: PRIORITY POINTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED UNDER THIS CATEGORY ONLY.
Priority Area:
Projects that will promote solutions for removing barriers to emergency preparedness. These may include, but are not limited to, projects which address community preparedness, such as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and county/local Emergency Operations Centers/Emergency Management Incident Management Teams (IMTs); public information and education building on the theme of “Get a Plan”; special needs populations to include the low income, the frail, elderly and the disabled and language barriers, the care and sheltering of people with their pets, and/or transportation issues.
Applications addressing the above priority must be submitted under Project Category #4, – “Other projects that will further state and local emergency management objectives which have been designated by the State of Florida as priorities in the applicable Notice of Funding Availability.”
All critical facility projects, at a minimum, whether mitigation, retrofit, renovations or new construction, must conform to the hurricane vulnerability guidelines established in the American Red Cross’ publication “Standards for Hurricane Evacuation Shelter Selection” (ARC 4496, January 2002). To assist in the determination of a facility’s compliance with these guidelines, an ARC 4496 Evaluation Questionnaire will be made available. If these standards cannot be met until the project is complete, the evaluation will need to reflect what measures will be used to reach a compliance status. THE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION. Critical facilities include, but are not limited to, hurricane shelters, Emergency Operations Centers, structures for fire stations, rescue operations or law enforcement facilities, hospitals and public works facilities, etc. Other more stringent codes and standards may apply to new construction or substantial renovation/retrofit projects.
Applicants who are eligible under Rural Economic Development Initiatives (REDI)-Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern may be entitled for a waiver or reduction of financial match requirements. Applicants will need to provide the most current memorandum from the Executive Office of The Governor, Office of Tourism Trade and Economic Development that confirms their eligibility when submitting their application. This waiver will be considered by the Review Committee when determining match score.
In conjunction with this offering, in lieu of workshops, a tutorial PowerPoint presentation will be on our website, www.floridadisaster.org/cps/grants.htm. This tutorial will provide more detailed information about the State’s priority issues, a review of the application format, a review of the Rule Chapter 9G-19, F.A.C., and other important information relevant to the programs.
TO DOWNLOAD THE RULE, APPLICATION PACKET AND ARC 4496 EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.floridadisaster.org/cps/grants.htm.