Emergency Work Overview
Public Assistance (PA) provides support for two types of emergency work after a presidential declaration: debris removal and emergency protective measures.
The goal is to minimize disaster impacts and promote swift recovery for affected communities. Proper implementation ensures public safety, stability, and restoration of essential services.
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Eligibility Considerations for Emergency Work
Emergency Work Categories
- Category A: Debris Removal
- Category B: Emergency Protective Measures
Immediate Threat Requirements
Emergency work must address immediate threats in order to:
- Save lives.
- Protect public health and safety.
- Protect improved property.
- Eliminate or lessen immediate threats of additional impacts and damage.
An immediate threat exists when damage or destruction is expected within five years of the declared incident.
Applicant Responsibility
The work must be the legal responsibility of an eligible applicant. For private nonprofit (PNP) applicants, eligible emergency work is limited to:
- Debris removal from facility property.
- Emergency protective measures to prevent damage to the facility and its contents.
Required Documentation
Documentation required to support work eligibility includes:
- Detailed description of work performed.
- Certification of immediate threat and legal responsibility.
- Records demonstrating the presence of an immediate threat (e.g., technical reports, photographs).
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Debris Removal (Category A)
Eligible Activities
Eligible debris removal activities include clearance, removal, recycling, and disposal.
Debris removal is eligible if it:
- Eliminates immediate threats to life, public health, and safety.
- Prevents significant damage to improved public or private property.
- Ensures economic recovery of the affected community.
- Reduces risk to life and property by removing damaged structures.
Types of Debris
Debris may include:
- Vegetative debris.
- Construction and demolition debris.
- Sand, mud, silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders.
- White goods.
- Vehicle and vessel wreckage.
Snow-related activities are not considered debris operations.
Debris Documentation Requirements
Documentation requirements for debris removal include:
- Estimated or actual debris quantities removed, reduced, disposed, and recycled.
- Location of temporary debris staging and reduction sites.
- Permits and authorizations for reduction and disposal sites.
- Proof of monitoring for contracted debris removal.
XIII
Emergency Protective Measures (Category B)
Eligibility Criteria
Emergency protective measures are eligible if they:
- Eliminate or lessen immediate threats to lives, public health, or safety.
- Prevent significant additional damage to improved public or private property.
Examples of Eligible Measures
- Transporting and pre-positioning equipment and resources for response.
- Flood fighting, operation of emergency operations centers, evacuation, and sheltering.
- Medical care and transport, search and rescue, and firefighting.
- Security measures, temporary generators, and dissemination of public information.
- Mold remediation, slope stabilization, and emergency repairs.
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Damage Caused During Performance of Emergency Work
Public Property, Supplies, and Equipment
Repair of damage to public property, supplies, or equipment is eligible if:
- Damage was due to severe conditions from the incident.
- Damage was unavoidable and not the result of improper or excessive use.
Replacement of damaged trees, shrubs, or ground cover is eligible when such damage occurs during the performance of eligible emergency work.
Private Property
Repair of damage to private property is eligible if:
- The property is an easement, and the applicant is legally responsible for repairs.
- The applicant leased the property for sheltering or temporary debris staging.