State and Local All Hazards Emergency Operations Planning

 

The purpose of the S/L Emergency Ops Planning program is to supplement and assist State and local efforts to prepare themselves to respond to emergencies or disasters including any that may be caused by terrorist attacks using conventional means or Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Such preparedness requires an extraordinary level of inter-service and inter-jurisdictional planning and coordination. The program provides grants to the States to encourage the development or updating of comprehensive, all-hazard emergency management plans by the States and by local governments. The requisite planning base supports and promotes efforts to establish lasting working relationships and facilitates the development of a common incident command system, general availability of interoperable communications, and effective mutual aid. In partnership with the Federal Government, strong emergency management and emergency services organizations at the State and local levels ensure the continuance of a comprehensive national emergency management system for disasters or emergencies resulting from natural disasters or accidental or man-made events.

Deleted 10/20/2005 (Program discontinued - budget authority expired) 97.051 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Project Grants. Not applicable. New program. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. 5121 - 5206; the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, Public Law 106-74. States are eligible to apply for the assistance under this program. For purposes of this program and consistent with the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(4), "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Local governments may receive assistance as subgrantees to the States in which they are located. The term "local government" as used in this program has the meaning set forth in the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(6). Funding under this program is ultimately to benefit States and local governments. A program point of contact must be designated by the chief elected official of each jurisdiction eligible to apply to FEMA for assistance. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. S/L Emergency Ops Planning is one of several program activities funded under the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery From and Response To Terrorist Attacks on the United States, Public Law 107-206. States will be able to apply for assistance from several program activities with a single application. Grant application guidance is provided to the point of contact designated by the State chief elected official. FEMA regional personnel will work directly with the States providing technical assistance, as required, as States develop their applications. Local governments apply to their States using procedures established by the States. FEMA Regional Offices notify States when awards are approved. States notify local subgrantees of the amounts of their awards. All eligible applicants will be notified of target dates and any applicable deadlines by way of the guidance packages provided to the State points of contact. Decisions will be made and States notified within 60 days from the date the application is received by the FEMA Regional Office. None. None. Program narratives are reviewed to ensure that funds will be used to develop or improve State and local operational plans to address all hazards including terrorism using WMD or conventional means. States and local governments are encouraged also to use funding to ensure that plans have adequate provisions for effective use of interstate and intrastate mutual aid agreements, communication and interoperability protocols, a common incident command system, State and local assessments, State and local continuity of operations and continuity of government, and coordination and effective use of volunteers. S/L Emergency Ops Planning funds currently available may be used for State and local all-hazards emergency operational planning. Seventy-five percent of the funds awarded must be passed through by the grantees to local governments. Grantees are required to submit quarterly financial and performance reports. The progress of each subgrant award will be included in the grantee's quarterly reports as required by 44 CFR 13.40 and 44 CFR 13.41. Reports are due 30 days after the end of each quarter. Report dates are January 30, April 30, July 30, and October 30. Final financial and performance reports are due 90 days after the expiration or termination of grant support as required by 44 CFR 13.50. Reports are to be submitted to the FEMA Regional Director. When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (SMARTLINK) is used for advanced or reimbursement payments, the grantee is required to submit a copy of Federal Cash Transaction Report (HHS/PMS 272) to FEMA when it is submitted to HHS. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more a year in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 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. The funds for S/L Emergency Ops Planning grants will be allocated among the States on the basis of population and will require no cost share. Grants are awarded for the total dollar amount, but the release of funds is on an as needed basis. The initial performance period for non-construction grants is ordinarily one year. Longer or shorter performance periods may be negotiated depending on needs of the grantees and national program management requirements. States are required to initiate requests for funds as close as administratively feasible to the actual disbursements for program costs. See Appendix IV of the Catalog for FEMA regional offices. Department of Homeland Security 245 Murray Drive, SW., Washington, DC 20528. Telephone: (202) 282-8000. http://www.dhs.gov 70-0700-0-1-999. (Grants) FY 02 $1,000,000; FY 03 est $0; and FY 04 est not available. $19,800 to $11,937,000; $1,786,000. All available, relevant guidance is provided to the designated points of contact of all eligible State participants. Updating and improving State and local emergency operations plans incorporating provisions for such capabilities and questions as interstate and intrastate mutual aid agreements; facilitating communication and interoperability protocols, including the development of a communications plan so that networks and communications lines are established prior to an event, thereby minimizing the interoperability problem; establishing a common incident command system; identifying and planning to protect critical infrastructure; addressing State and local continuity of operations and continuity of government; conducting and documenting State and local hazard and risk assessments to determine emergency management planning priorities; and coordination of citizen and family preparedness plans and programs, including Citizen Corps, donations programs, and other volunteer initiatives to ensure an effective response to all hazard events.