Pre-Disaster Mitigation Disaster Resistant Universities

 

The PDM program assist States and communities to implement a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program to reduce overall risk to population, buildings and infrastructure, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. FEMA is now making available approximately $3.6 million of PDM funds as Disaster Resistant University (DRU) grants to State, local and Tribal governments for pre-disaster mitigation activities that benefit universities.

Deleted 10/20/2005 (Program discontinued - budget authority expired) 97.063 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Project Grants. Presently, under different funding authorities, FEMA selected six pilot universities, Tulane University, University of Alaska/Fairbanks, University of California/Berkeley, University of Miami, University of North Carolina/Wilmington, and University of Washington. These DRUs made great strides to ensure that their campuses are disaster resistant. For example, Building a Disaster Resistant University (Available at http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/dru_report.pdf) developed by the University of California/Berkeley, and revised by the University of North Carolina/Wilmington in conjunction with FEMA and the other pilot universities will serve as a guide for universities that seek to become disaster resistant. See report located at http://www.fema.gov/fima/dru.shtm. The Pre-disaster Mitigation (PDM), authorized by Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. 5133, as amended by Section 102 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA), Public Law 106-390, 114 Stat. 1552. Any State, including the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, and the Mariana Islands, is eligible as well as Indian tribal governments. Eligible Sub-applicants include State agencies, including State universities; Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments; and local governments, to include State recognized Indian Tribes, authorized tribal organizations, and Alaska Native villages, are eligible to apply to the Applicant as Sub-applicants. Private universities are not eligible to apply as Sub-applicants; however, they may request an eligible entity to submit an application for their proposed activity on their behalf. Grant awards will be determined in accordance with OMB Circulars No. A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments and A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments. FEMA will allocate the PDM funds annually to each FEMA Region for distribution among the States. FEMA will notify eligible States of the expected funding amounts prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. Local governments should consult the official designated point of contact in their State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. The State point of contact reviews, prioritizes, and selects from university applicants. The State submits an application to FEMA identifying the eligible mitigation activities for which funding is requested. Applications must be submitted in a paper format, and must include: (1) Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, (2) FEMA Form 20-15 Budget Information-Construction Programs, (3) FEMA Form 20-20 Budget Information-Non-construction Programs, (4) 20-16(A)-(C) Assurances and Certifications, (5) Standard Form LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and (6) Program Narrative identifying the activities for which funding is requested, and other applicable documents as described in Section V of the DRU Program Guidance. The total award is to be used as specified in the approved application. In compliance with Federal laws and executive orders, FEMA will conduct the final environmental review and approval for all activities. Applications for FY 2003 PDM/DRU competitive grants must be submitted to the Director of the applicant's respective FEMA Regional Office by the deadline published for submission of applications. Whenever possible, within 60 days of receipt of the application, the Regional Director will approve or deny the sub-grant activities in writing, to allow the grantee to process the approved sub-grant awards. Not applicable. Not applicable. In selecting and prioritizing the local and Indian tribal governments to receive assistance, the State should take into consideration the priorities established in the State Mitigation Plan and relevant criteria under Section 203(g) of the Stafford Act. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide PDM funds to assist universities, through State and local governments, to implement a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program to reduce overall risk to facilities, research assets, students and faculty. These funds will be competitively awarded with a National priority of ensuring that program funds benefit a representative range of universities, based on hazard type, size, geography, and academic community served, which includes consideration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Funds are available for hazard mitigation project activities at universities that have demonstrated commitment to such activities through prior Disaster Resistant University efforts, and for planning and project activities for universities that have not undertaken DRU activities. Allowable costs will be governed by 44 CFR Part 13, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments and OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments. Grantees are required to submit quarterly financial and performance reports. The grantee will also report the progress of each sub-grant award in their quarterly reports, per 44 CFR Part 13.40 and 41. Reports are due 30 days after the end of each quarter. Report dates are January 30, April 30, July 31, and October 30. Final financial and performance reports are due 90 days after the expiration or termination of grant support, per 44 CFR Part 13.50. Reports are to be submitted to the FEMA Regional Director. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grant records include financial and programmatic records, supporting documents, statistical records, and other records of recipient or sub-recipient which are required to be maintained by 44 CFR Part 13.42, program regulations or the grant agreement. Grant records shall be retained for a period of 3 years from the day the recipient submits its final expenditure report. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. FEMA will contribute up to 75 percent of the cost of activities approved for funding. At least 25 percent of the total eligible costs will be provided from a nonfederal source. Grants awarded to small and impoverished communities may receive a Federal cost share of up to 90 percent of the total cost to implement eligible PDM activities. FEMA has adopted the Environmental Protection Agency's definition for a Small and Impoverished Community, which must meet all of the following criteria: it must be a community of 3,000 or fewer individuals that is identified by the State as a rural community, and is not a remote area within the corporate boundaries of a larger city; it must be economically disadvantaged, with residents having an average per capita annual income not exceeding 80 percent of national per capita income, based on best available data; it must have a local unemployment rate that exceeds by one percentage point or more, the most recently reported, average yearly national unemployment rate; and it must meet any other factors identified in the State Plan in which the community is located. All contributions, cash and in-kind, are accepted as part of the nonfederal matching share. Except as allowed by Federal statute, no other Federal grant funds can be used as a match. The following documentation is required for matching contributions: record of source of donor, dates, rates, amounts, and deposit slips (cash contributions only). Requirements for in-kind contributions can be found in OMB Circular A-102, Common Rule, 44 CFR 13.24. Grants are awarded for the total dollar amount, but the release of the funds is on an as-needed basis. The initial performance period for the entire grant shall not exceed 24 months. If performance reports reveal that there is no work in progress implementing the grant or any sub-grant, FEMA will determine whether or not to extend the performance period. See Appendix IV of the Catalog for the list of addresses of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Offices. LaBrina Jones, Office of the Director/Administrator, Mitigation Division, FEMA, 500 C Street, SW., Room 404A, Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-4331 or E-mail: LaBrina.Jones@dhs.gov. http://www.fema.gov/fima/dru.shtm 70-0716-0-1-402. (Grants) FY 04 $3,600,000; FY 05 est not available; and FY 05 est not available. FEMA is making PDM funds available specifically for mitigation benefiting universities, including awards of approximately $100,000 each for pre-disaster mitigation activities that benefit universities, and additional awards of up to $500,000 each for pre-disaster hazard mitigation activities that benefit universities that have demonstrated commitment to hazard mitigation through prior FEMA-assisted DRU efforts. For fiscal year 2002 funds, awards will be governed by Section 203 of the Stafford Act, the Federal Register Notice of availability of Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Disaster Resistant Universities (DRU) grants, and program guidance, which will be made available to the public on the FEMA internet site: http://www.fema.gov/fima/dru.shtm. It is anticipated that proposed program regulations will be available in fiscal year 2004 and should be effective for fiscal year 2004 PDM/DRU grants. None.