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Monthly Archives: June 2015

AFG Technical Assistance Webinar Series

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Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)FEMA is introducing a new webinar series to assist all Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) applicants and award recipients with the latest information to help prepare AFG applications and manage awards. Throughout the year, the new AFG Technical Assistance Webinar Series will be your opportunity to receive a briefing on up-to-date program information directly from AFG experts. Each webinar will provide ample time for the experts to answer questions from participants.

The first webinar in this series will provide an update on changes in administrative requirements for AFG awards based on the recently adopted Super Circular (2 CFR 200). This webinar features Mr. Ryan Corle from the FEMA Office of Chief Counsel. To allow ample time for the presentation, discussion, and questions and answers, two hours has been allotted for each webinar session.

The AFG Technical Assistance Webinar Series will be presented on June 23, 2015 at 11 am and repeated at 3 pm Eastern Time.

The presentation will include:

  • Changes in requirements resulting from the implementation by FEMA of the Super Circular.
  • Grant recipient responsibilities regarding procurement, competition, equipment, and record retention and more.

To participate:

Webinar sessions will be broadcast using Adobe Connect webinar link and a call-in phone number for audio transmission. We suggest you save this link to your browser’s favorites.

The Adobe Connect webinar can be found at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/afg-ta-2015. To access the webinar follow these steps:

  • 1. Click on the link
  • 2. Select “enter as a guest” and provide you and your department’s name, click on enter the room
  • 3. Agree to the terms of the Adobe Connect system, Click on “OK”

For audio transmission, the call in number is: 1-800-320-4330 and enter pin # 530853.

Planned future webinar topics include Closeout help, Grants Management and Application Development.

$14,450,640 in Fire Grants Awarded in Round 6 AFG 2014

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced the sixth award round for the FY2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) fire grants program.

FEMA awarded $14,450,640 to 57 Fire Service organizations throughout the US. Awards included:

  • $11,812, Operations and Safety, Training, Union City Fire Department, Union City, TN
  • $42,858, Operations and Safety, Equipment, Camp Verde Fire District, Camp Verde, AZ
  • $91,397, Operations and Safety, Wellness and Fitness Programs, City of North Lauderdale, North Lauderdale, FL
  • $123,948, State Fire Training Academy, Equipment, Utah Valley University/Utah Fire & Rescue Academy, Provo, UT
  • $303,810, Regional Request, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Plymouth Fire Company No.1, Conshohocken, PA
  • $733,709, Operations and Safety, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles, CA
  • $1,062,890, Operations and Safety, Modify Facilities, Orange County Fire Rescue Department, Orlando, FL
  • $2,882,970, Operations and Safety, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Seattle Fire Department, Seattle, WA

See the full FY2014 AFG fire grant award list here. Check back weekly for more AFG award updates!

Critical Infrastructure: DOT Pipeline Mapping Tool

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npms

What Critical Infrastructure Is Under Your Jurisdiction? DOT Pipeline Mapping Tool Tells You

US DOT National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) and Pipeline Information Management Mapping Application (PIMMA)

While critical infrastructure includes aboveground assets, it can be easy to forget that critical infrastructure also runs right under your feet. Gas transmission lines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants are present throughout many American communities. First responders need to know the locations of this critical infrastructure in order to strategize emergency response, critical infrastructure protection, and environmental protection. When your department is applying for a grant, it’s also common to need to discuss critical infrastructure in your service area or jurisdiction.

But in order to plan, you first have to know where these pipelines are. Luckily, state and local government officials have this data right at their fingertips, through the Pipeline Information Management Mapping Application (PIMMA).

Accessing this relevant data also makes PIMMA a valuable tool not only for incident management information, but for developing critical infrastructure lists for use in FEMA and DHS grant applications.

About the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) and the Pipeline Information Management Mapping Application (PIMMA)

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). The NPMS is a restricted-access dataset for government officials and pipeline operators (Members of the general public can access non-sensitive NPMS data via the NPMS Public Map Viewer and the Find Who’s Operating Pipelines in Your Area tools.)

Through the Pipeline Information Management Mapping Application (PIMMA), NPMS contains locations of and information about gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants which are under the jurisdiction of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), as well as voluntarily submitted breakout tank data.

Note: Spatial accuracy of pipeline data in the NPMS is +/-500 feet. NPMS should never be used as a substitute for calling 811 before digging or excavating. Distribution and gathering pipelines are not included in the NPMS.

How Public Safety Personnel and First Responders Can Access NPMS/PIMMA

Access to NPMS and PIMMA is restricted. State and local government officials such as public safety personnel and first responders can apply here for login credentials to access the maps and information about pipelines being operated in their areas of responsibility.

After you apply, credentials will be issued in order to access NPMS/PIMMA data. Access is for individuals only. PIMMA usernames and passwords are not to be shared with others. Access is granted based on the jurisdiction you are employed by, so you will only be able to access information in your local area.

The application data contains hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, and breakout tank data. PIMMA data is for reference purposes only and data cannot be downloaded (but you can submit a Data Request Form to request GIS data layers for use in your own mapping system).

PIMMA contains sensitive information that is to be treated as DOT proprietary information. While information and maps cannot be directly redistributed, data can still be utilized in maintaining critical infrastructure lists, planning emergency response, and when building the case for need in your grant applications.

Make sure you know what critical infrastructure is under your feet:

Go to the NPMS Homepage

Local Government – Apply for PIMMA Access

State Government – Apply for PIMMA Access

Funding Opportunity: FY 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants

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FEMA has announced the FY2015 Notice of Funding Opportunities for 2 of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs: Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation. HMA grant programs provide states, tribes, territories, and local governments funding for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation’s ability to reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages.

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Federally-recognized tribal governments are eligible to apply. Local governments are considered sub-applicants and must apply to their Applicant state/territory.

Applicants are encouraged to review the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance for detailed information regarding eligibility and to contact their FEMA Regional Office for additional information. Grant applications must be submitted to FEMA through the Mitigation eGrants system on the FEMA Grants Portal accessible on the Internet no later than 3:00 PM EDT on August 28, 2015.

Flood Mitigation Assistance, $150 Million

The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program provides funds on an annual basis so that measures can be taken to reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to buildings insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

For the FY 2015 FMA program, FEMA will select sub-applications for funding in the agency’s priority order:

  • Flood mitigation planning activities up to $100,000 federal share per applicant with a maximum of $50,000 federal share for state mitigation plans and $25,000 federal share for local mitigation plans
  • Projects that mitigate at least 50 percent of structures that meet definition part (b)(ii) of a Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) property: At least 2 separate NFIP claim payments have been made with the cumulative amount of such claims exceeding the market value of the insured structure
  • Projects that mitigate at least 50 percent of structures that meet the definition of a Repetitive Loss (RL) property: Have incurred flood-related damage on 2 occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25 percent of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event
  • Projects that mitigate at least 50 percent of structures meet definition part (b)(i) of a SRL property: 4 or more separate NFIP claims payments have been made with the amount of each claim exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative amount of claims payments exceeding $20,000
  • Projects that will reduce the risk profile in communities through mitigation of the largest number of contiguous NFIP-insured properties

Pre-Disaster Mitigation, $30 Million

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program provides funds on an annual basis for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects for the purpose of reducing overall risk to the population and structures, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disaster declarations.

For the FY 2015 PDM program:

  • Applicants may submit a maximum of 11 sub-applications in a PDM grant application: 10 for mitigation planning and project activities, plus 1 management cost sub-application. Of the 10 sub-applications for mitigation activities, Applicants may submit a maximum of 3 projects.
  • Each Applicant’s number one ranked sub-application must not exceed $250,000 Federal share in order to be eligible for the state and tribal set asides.
  • FEMA will use the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Scale to prioritize activities for competitive selection once the set asides have been met.

FEMA will select eligible applications for funding in the agency’s priority order:

  • Statutory set aside of $250,000 per State/Territory/District of Columbia
  • Up to $5 Million Tribal set aside for $250,000 per Federally-recognized tribe
  • Mitigation planning activities from Applicants without Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds available
  • Non-flood mitigation projects from Applicants without HMGP funds available
  • Flood mitigation projects from Applicants without HMGP funds available
  • Mitigation planning activities from Applicants with HMGP funds available
  • Non-flood mitigation projects from Applicants with HMGP funds available
  • Flood mitigation projects from Applicants with HMGP funds available

Funding Opportunity: FY 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants