Public Assistance Conference Call: March 9

The State will be holding a Public Assistance conference call on Thursday, March 9th from 1:30 – 2:30 PM. The presentation for this conference call will be available on CO.EMGrants.com within the Applicant Call Presentations section and will be titled "3/9/17 Monthly Update."

Agenda

HMGP

• Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Updates FY 2017
• Update on Project Closeouts

CDBG-DR

• Program Timelines and Deadlines
• Additional Funding Opportunities
• Environmental Reviews

DEF

• RFR Process and Unmet Needs

PA

• New PA Model Training
• Time Extension Deadlines
• RFR Processing
• Quarterly Report Reminder

If you have a question you would like addressed during the call, please send those to cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us and we will address them as they arise.

FEMA 4229-DR-CO Public Assistance


Hotline: 720.500.5510
cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us

All Grants Conference Call is February 9

 The State will be holding an All Grants conference call on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.. The presentation for this conference call will be available before the call on CO.EMGrants.com within the Applicant Call Presentations section and will be titled “2/9/17 Monthly Update."

Conference Call Information

In addition to offering a conference call for the meeting, the State would like to offer the use of Adobe Connect for the meeting.

Agenda

• FEMA Directive 108-1 - Bioengineering Requirements
• Presentation by Rick Myers from FEMA EHP
• Update on MARS Hiring
• HMGP
• Benefit Cost Analysis Training Announcement
• Quarterly Report Update
• CDBG-DR
• Programmatic Update
• DEF
• Quarterly Report Reminder
• RFR Process and Unmet Needs
• PA
• Time Extension Deadlines
• Documentation and Closeout Reminders

If you have a question you would like addressed during the call, please email cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us.

Public Assistance Quarter 1 Reports Due January 13

This is a reminder that the Q1 2017 October - December Quarterly Report for your organization for FEMA DR-4229 is due on January 13, 2017. Reporting for the PA Program is required on each obligated large project on a quarterly basis until FEMA has officially closed the project. Extensions to the deadline will only be considered for Applicants with more than 20 large projects.

If you have any questions or would like assistance in completing your Quarterly Report, please send your inquiries to your Applicant Assistance Representative or to cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us.

Public Assistance Quarter 1 Report Deadline is January 13, 2017

This is a reminder that the Public Assistance (PA) Q1 2017 October - December Quarterly Report for your organization for FEMA DR-4229 is due on January 13, 2017. Reporting for the PA Program is required on all obligated large projects on a quarterly basis. Extensions to the deadline will only be considered for Applicants with more than 20 large projects.

Important clarifications:

The “Expended to Date” amount should include all cumulative costs incurred on the project to date, including insurance considerations.

Quarterly reporting is required on each large project until FEMA has officially closed the project.

Failure to submit the Quarterly Report may result in de-obligation of project funding by FEMA.

If you have any questions or would like assistance in completing your Quarterly Report, please send your inquiries to cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us.

Reminder: All Grants Conference Call on December 8

The State will be holding an All Grants conference call:
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2016
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

The presentation for this conference call will be available on CO.EMGrants.com within the Applicant Call Presentations section and will be titled “12/8/16 Monthly Update."

Agenda

• Updated DHSEM Organizational Chart
• HMGP Updates
• CDBG-DR Updates
• PA Update - Transition to Closeout Approach

Questions

FEMA 4229-DR-CO Public Assistance Contact Information

• Phone Hotline: 720.500.5510
• Email:  cdps_dhsem_pa4229@state.co.us

Monthly Public Assistance Applicant Assistance Call

Today is the monthly Public Assistance Applicants Assistance Teleconference for FEMA-4229-DR-CO.

Call Information

• Thursday, November 12th 
• 1:30 pm
• Conference Line:  720-279-0026 Local / 877-820-7831 Toll Free
• Participant Code: 522939#

Agenda

1. Opening Comments – Dana Reynolds, Director OEM & State Coordinating Officer (SCO) for 4229
   FEMA 4229 Status Report
2. DHSEM Purchase Order and Grant Agreement Update
3. Question / Answer Session
4. Please submit questions you wish to be addressed during this teleconference to: cdps_dhsem_PA4229@state.co.us

Attachment: FEMA-4229-DR-CO PA Status Report 11.11.2015

Public Assistance Applicant Teleconference for DR-4229

DHSEM is shifting the DR-4229 Applicant Assistance teleconference from biweekly to a monthly basis. The next teleconference will not take place until Thursday, November 12th at 1:30 p.m. We encourage all DR-4229 applicants to reply to this email or to contact the DHSEM team with any questions.  View the DR-4229 minutes from the October 15, 2015 call.

All PWs must be written by Thanksgiving

FEMA is on track to transition out of Colorado around Thanksgiving, as scheduled. It is crucial for applicants to work with their FEMA PA Project Specialist to get the information necessary to complete the PWs as soon as possible. DHSEM has asked FEMA to use estimations to help accelerate the process. We must stay focused on making sure all PWs are written before FEMA leaves Colorado to prevent the PWs from getting stuck in the backlog of DR-4145.

DR-4229 PA Summary

Please see the DR-4229 PA Summary report. As of today, FEMA has obligated sixty-seven (67) project worksheets. Purchase Orders (POs) are written for small projects (<$121,600) and Grant Agreements (GAs) are written for large projects (>$121,600).

• Thirty-eight (38) PWs are drafted as either POs or GAs

• Nineteen (19) POs and one (1) GA have passed the initial approval process at DHSEM and have been submitted to CDPS for final approval.
• Eleven (11) have passed the initial approval process at DHSEM and will be submitted to CDPS for approval by COB today.
• Five (5) GAs are with the Sub-Grantee for signature.
• Two (2) PWs will be written as amendments and are waiting for the original GA to be executed.

• Twenty-nine (29) PWs will be converted into POs or GAs by the end of next week.

 Zix Secure Portal

The State of Colorado has moved towards encryption protection for emails with sensitive information. All emails sent to and from DHSEM will be scanned by the secure encryption tool known as Zix. Messages containing certain keywords will automatically be encrypted to ensure confidentiality. If the email is encrypted, you will need to retrieve it from the Zix portal by following the process outlined in the attachment. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and we are happy to help if there is any confusion on the process.
Zix Secure Portal document and directions.

Procurement Trainings for DR-4229 Applicants

The FEMA Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) will be conducting procurement trainings next week for FEMA Public Assistance DR-4229 applicants. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports that a failure to follow federalprocurement regulations is one of the key issues identified in audit findings. This finding may result in a Public Assistance applicant (a FEMA PA Program sub-grantee) being asked to return Federal assistance.

One representative from each applicant participating in the FEMA Public Assistance program is required to attend this procurement training

Please be aware that missing this important training can put an applicant at higher risk of an OIG finding by being uninformed of common issues that arise during DHS OIG procurement auditing

The training sessions will be held in person at the following times and locations:

• Tuesday, September 1, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Emergency Services Center, 101 W. 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003

• Wednesday, September 2, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Morgan CO Dept. of Human Services, 800 E. Beaver Ave., Fort Morgan, CO 80701

• Thursday, September 3, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., South Metro Fire Rescue (2nd floor), State EOC, 9195 E. Mineral Ave., Centennial, CO 80112

Please RSVP to the session that best fits your schedule by emailing Hart Gillespie at caroline.gillespie@state.co.us. We look forward to seeing you next week!

News Release: State Begins Public Assistance Applicant Briefings

Centennial, Colo. –July 29, 2015 – The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) begins Public Assistance Applicant Briefings on Thursday, July  30 continuing through Thursday, August 13, 2015.   The Applicant Briefings are the first step for impacted jurisdictions in the Public Assistance Grant Program process.   

The Public Assistance Program provides grants to state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments and certain private non-profit entities to assist them with the response to and recovery from disasters.  Specifically, the program provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure. The Public Assistance Grant Program is a reimbursement program.  

 The Applicant Briefings are scheduled for:

Date	County	Location	Time
Thursday, July 30	Elbert County	BOCC Board Room, 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa 80117	1 p.m.
Friday, July 31	Iliff	Iliff Town Hall, 405 W. 2nd St., Iliff 80736	10 a.m.
Monday, August 3	El Paso / City Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs OEM, 370 Printers Parkway, Colorado Springs 80910	10 a.m.
Tuesday, August 4	Fremont County	Garden Park Building, 201 N. 6th Street, Cañon City 81212	10 a.m.
Wednesday, August 5	Saguache County	Saguache County Road and Bridge Building, 305 3rd St., Saguache 81149	10 a.m.
Thursday, August 6	Pueblo County	Pueblo County Emergency Services Center, 101 W. 10th Street, Pueblo 81003	10 a.m.
Friday, August 7	Baca County	Springfield City Council Chambers, 748 Main Street, Springfield 81073	10 a.m.
Monday, August 10	Morgan County	Morgan County Administration Building (Basement), 231 Ensign Street, Fort Morgan 80701	10 a.m.
Tuesday, August 11	Logan County	Board of County Commissioners Chambers, Logan County Courthouse, 315 Main Street, Sterling 80751	11 a.m.
Tuesday, August 11	Sedgwick County	Board of County Commissioners Chambers, Logan County Courthouse, 315 Main Street, Sterling 80751,	11 a.m.
Wednesday, August 12	Yuma County	Yuma Ambulance Building Classroom, 302 E. 2nd Avenue, Yuma 80759	10 a.m.
Thursday, August 13	Washington County	Washington County Courthouse, 150 Ash Street, Akron 80720	10 a.m.

The Public Assistance process begins after the disaster declaration. The Colorado DHSEM conducts the Applicant Briefings for state, territorial, local, tribal and Private Non Profit (PNP) officials to inform them of the assistance available and how to apply for it. A Request for Public Assistance must be filed by the grantee within 30 days after the area is designated eligible for assistance. 

Following the Applicant's Briefing, a Kickoff Meeting is conducted where damages will be discussed, needs assessed, and a plan of action put in place. A combined federal/state/territorial/tribal/local team proceeds with Project Formulation, which is the process of documenting the eligible facility, the eligible work, and the eligible cost for fixing the damages to every public or PNP facility identified by State, territorial, tribal, or local representatives. The team prepares a Project Worksheet (PW) based on actual costs or on the basis of an estimate for each project.

The State of Colorado was awarded a major disaster declaration on July 16, 2015 for 11 counties be included in the disaster declaration for Public Assistance based on the joint preliminary damage assessments conducted in Baca, Elbert, El Paso, Fremont, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.  Additional counties may be added if verified damages meet indicators following Preliminary Damage Assessments currently underway in five additional counties.

###

DHSEM Mitigation and Recovery Report: Nov. 25

The DHSEM Mitigation and Recovery Program Report has been posted to our DHSEM website for review or download.

Flood Recovery Presentation for Local Officials from October 10

On October 10 DHSEM staff met with local government officials to discuss flood recovery efforts in Colorado.  The slide deck is provided below for anyone who was unable to attend the meeting in person.

DHSEM Presentation to Local Officials and Staff for Flood Recovery from Micki Freeman Trost

Training Session: FEMA Disaster Procurement Assistance Team Session

The FEMA Disaster Procurement Assistance Team (DPAT) will be conducting a training on federal procurement and contracting requirements for all Public Assistance projects. Attendance to this training is mandatory for all Public Assistance Applicants. Please refer to the following table for the available training sessions and RSVP for the training session that you plan to attend by completing the FEMA DPAT Attendance Poll, available at the link below.

FEMA DPAT Training Sessions
Date	Time
Wednesday, October 29, 2014	8:00AM – 12:00PM
Wednesday, October 29, 2014	1:00PM – 5:00PM
Thursday, October 30, 2014	8:00AM – 12:00PM
Thursday, October 30, 2014	1:00PM – 5:00PM

FEMA Disaster Procurement Assistance Team Attendance Poll

The training sessions will be held within Building 25 Auditorium at the Denver Federal Center, Lakewood, CO 80225. Guests should enter into the Denver Federal Center through Gate #1 off of Kipling Street. A government issued ID will be required. Once clear of security, take the first right on second street, Proceed down to parking on either the east side of building 20 or building 25 as indicated in the attached picture. Enter into building 25 through the east door E-14 as shown.
View or download Denver Federal Center map.

Please share this invitation to all persons whom are administering the Public Assistance program within your entity as this training is mandatory and will cover information pertinent to all involved.

DHSEM Update: August 1

Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Update:  August 1

This issue of the DHSEM Update includes information on:

• Public Assistance
• Public Hearings Announced for Amendment to CDBG-DR Action Plan
• Colorado Day of Service
• CEPC Annual Conference
• Job and Volunteer Opportunities
• CEPP August Meeting Reminder
• Kudos and Congratulations
• Education Resources
• National Geographic Article on Wildfire Mitigation
• CML Knowledge Now
• Webinar Notes on Climate Adaptation and Critical Infrastructure
• FEMA Social Media in Emergency Preparedness
• READYColorado Events Calendar
• Training Information
• FEMA Workshops and Conferences
• Upcoming PIO Courses
• DHSEM Training Calendar

Gov. Hickenlooper presents disaster relief check to Boulder County

Gov. John Hickenlooper today presented a $1.154 million check to the Boulder County Commissioners, the first under a new program to expedite disaster relief payments for infrastructure repairs to counties and communities impacted during the 2013 floods.

“Turnaround times have dramatically improved under this new program – during the month of July we tripled the amount of previous reimbursements,” Hickenlooper said. “We sought a new approach, because we needed to keep pace with the communities as they repair or replace damaged roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure.”

The $1.154 million check is an advance on the $3.4 million in reimbursements Boulder has requested under the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Public Assistance program.

Of the $35.4 million local governments submitted for FEMA reimbursement requests, the state has approved $9.5 million in reimbursements, approximately $4.5 million in just the last 30 days. Another $2.3 million is approved for payment in the next five days.

Under the expedited program, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) will reimburse 50 percent of all requests for reimbursements greater than $10,000, after a cursory review, with a $1 million cap for any single reimbursement. The amount cannot exceed more than 50 percent of what FEMA has allocated for the project.

The department also added four additional staff to assist with processing recovery payments, according to Kevin Klein, DHSEM director.

Additionally, the governor authorized $20 million in cash advances out of the state disaster emergency fund, for communities that need help with cash flow for projects. During July, the state distributed $7.3 million in advances.

Public Assistance Project Status Report

View the most current Public Assistance (PA) Project Status Report with information on projects related to the 2013 Colorado Floods.  All reports are posted to our recovery site at CORecovers.info on the State PA page. 

Public Assistance Project Status Report:  June 18, 2014

DHSEM Update: June 16, 2014

Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management ~ June 16

Information included in this Update:

• Current Fire Restriction Levels
• Public Assistance Road Shows
• DHSEM Wildfire After Action Report
• State Emergency Operation Center Upgrades
• South Canyon Fire 20th Anniversary Commemorative Event
• Job and Volunteer Opportunities
• FEMA Announces Policy Updates to Flood Risk and Analysis Mapping Standards
• CEPP Reminder
• Kudos and Thank You
• Educational Resources
• Wireless Emergency Alerts
• Emergency Preparedness Training Event for People with Disabilities, their Families and Support Providers
• Denver Fire Department Leadership So Everyone Goes Home Documentary
• San Luis Valley Emergency Information Website
• Training Information

DHSEM Provides Public Assistance Roadshows

There are five dates and locations for this event, shown at the end of this email. All of the dates will cover the same material, but we are offering different locations for convenience.

Each event will consist of a 30-45 minute overview presentation on the FEMA Public Assistance Program; following the overview, we will breakout into focus groups to delve into more specific topics such as:

• Request for Reimbursement (RFR) process and documentation requirements
• Scope Changes / Versions
• Time Extensions and Quarterly Reports
• Appeals & Donated Resources
• Additional Funding Sources

Each focus group will last approximately 25 minutes, and you will have the opportunity to attend up to 4 sessions in the 2 hours following the overview. At the end, we will reconvene for a quick 15 minute wrap up session with frequently asked questions. If you are unable to stay for the entire time, please feel free to drop by at any point during the event.

We highly encourage you to attend this event. Please respond to cdps_pa4145@state.co.us with the date and location you plan on attending.

Applicant Roadshows

DATE	LOCATION	TIME
Wednesday, June 18, 2014	DHSEM building, Board Room, 1st Floor, 9195 East Mineral Avenue, Centennial, CO 80112	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thursday, June 19, 2014	Boulder County Courthouse, Hearing Room, 3rd Floor, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302	1 – 4 p.m.
TBD	Weld County	TBD
Thursday, July 10, 2014	Larimer county Courthouse Office, Hearing Room, 1st Floor, 200 West Oak Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014	Colorado Springs Emergency Operations Center, 370 Printers Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO 80910	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.