Navigating the FEMA Public Assistance Application Process Effectively

CHRISTIAN FUELLGRAF: Welcome, thanks for listening to Cherry Bekaert's Government and Public Sector podcast series. In each episode, we hear from the best in the business on the latest challenges, trends, and opportunities affecting the government and public sector. I'm Christian Fuellgraf, leader of Cherry Bekaert's Government and Public Sector Industry Team. I hope you enjoy and thank you for joining us.

KAT KIZIOR: Hey, everybody, welcome to our next Grants Management podcast. This is a one-off episode about FEMA Public Assistance. First, we want to express our care and concern to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene.

KAT KIZIOR: At Cherry Bekaert, we have coworkers, friends, and family who were impacted by the storm, and we have been deeply affected. If you want to help, there are places across the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic where you can donate supplies for folks who have lost everything. Please search them out and donate what you can.

KAT KIZIOR: We were planning to do another podcast today, but instead we want to make sure everyone affected has a resource to use and an understanding of how to apply for FEMA Public Assistance, how it works, timelines, deadlines, and what happens afterward. We do not want you to miss that deadline, and we want you to be successful in getting the FEMA Public Assistance funds your business or individuals may need right now.

KAT KIZIOR: I always say it's hard to be in a position where you cannot be there to help. We're not in those areas, but we can offer to help you secure funding to rebuild and revitalize devastated communities. I am Kat Kizior. I am a manager with Cherry Bekaert and I have been in grants management for about 25 years.

KAT KIZIOR: We have Paula Heller with us. She is the newest member of our team and we are excited to have her on board. She says she is not a FEMA expert, but I say she is very much an expert in FEMA from many directions. Paula, go ahead and introduce yourself.

PAULA HELLER: Hi everyone. Thanks, Kat, for that introduction. I'm Paula Heller, one of your new co-hosts. I'm super excited; I've been dreaming of doing a podcast for years. My background is in higher education and pre-K through 12th grade education, and I began my career as a cellular molecular biologist.

PAULA HELLER: All of that has involved grant work, and I have over 25 years of experience collectively. I am a certified grant management specialist. I'm excited to talk about this topic because I want to empower people by explaining the process.

KAT KIZIOR: This is impromptu; it wasn't planned, but we want to get this information out. Paula has worked with FEMA funding on several occasions, both through her business and personally, since she has experienced hurricanes and the process firsthand. Paula, can you describe what you went through with hurricanes, how it affected you, and how you worked with FEMA?

PAULA HELLER: I have direct personal and professional experience with FEMA. I lived in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands for most of my life and ran a pre-K through 12th grade private school as the executive director. In September 2017, we had Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, and nine days later we had Maria, another Category 5 hurricane.

PAULA HELLER: Two Category 5 hurricanes hitting back to back was traumatizing and devastating to the economy and infrastructure. I had to rely on FEMA to rebuild my business and to repair personal property where my insurance had gaps. It was very personal to me and I wish someone could have helped me navigate it then.

PAULA HELLER: I did not understand the full scope of the FEMA process; I was just following the steps they presented. If I had had a clearer sense of the overall process, I could have navigated it better and perhaps leveraged assistance more effectively. After a hurricane you prepare for the storm, live through it, and then live through the aftermath while trying to get things back to normal quickly.

PAULA HELLER: FEMA becomes another burden of work to manage, and I want to support people in getting through that process.

KAT KIZIOR: What about communities that do not typically experience hurricanes, like mountainous areas in Tennessee or North Carolina that were devastated by flooding? People there may not know what to do.

KAT KIZIOR: We want to help not just those familiar with disasters, but especially people facing this for the first time who need guidance on how to remedy the situation. Paula, let's dive into the details of FEMA applications and start with dates. There are deadlines you must meet, so you have to be quick.

PAULA HELLER: The first step is that the president must declare the event a disaster. The declaration is made to the state and may not include all counties within the state. For example, in South Carolina, only certain counties in a specific geographic pattern might be included.

PAULA HELLER: The state receives federal funding based on estimates of need, and that money is then allocated to applicants. The first important piece is to confirm you are in a declared disaster zone and that your county is included.

PAULA HELLER: Once confirmed, you can go to the FEMA portal and complete the initial application. You'll need documents and a reasonable estimate of your damages to get through the pre-application stage, which is due within 30 days of the date of declaration.

PAULA HELLER: The date of declaration determines the 30-day timeline. If the event was declared on September 27, for example, your pre-application must be in by October 27. Time is ticking, and there will be a queue when thousands of people apply, so you want to be on the front end.

KAT KIZIOR: After that 30 days, what happens?

PAULA HELLER: After you submit the pre-application, the state reviews it first like other federal award processes. The state will assess risk factors, consider eligibility, and recommend approval or denial to FEMA. FEMA then has three days to make a decision.

PAULA HELLER: If you are not eligible, you will receive a letter explaining why and you can request a re-review under their specific process. To clarify, when we talk about public assistance we mean local governments, counties, and certain nonprofits that provide public services. We are not discussing for-profit businesses or individual assistance here.

PAULA HELLER: Individual assistance is a different category with a similar timeline; it covers repairs to homes and removing debris from yards. Public Assistance is intended to help entities get operations back up and running.

KAT KIZIOR: If an individual or for-profit company needs assistance, where should they look?

PAULA HELLER: There are resources on FEMA's site, but the Small Business Administration (SBA) is often the best resource for low-interest loans to help recovery. FEMA Public Assistance is limited in scope and focused on organizations that perform public work.

KAT KIZIOR: My understanding is there are different types of funding: emergency work and permanent work. Can you describe each and what they entail?

PAULA HELLER: Emergency work covers immediate activities you may already be doing and can be reimbursed for, such as debris removal, boarding up broken windows, emergency protective measures, and patrols for safety. Emergency work is eligible for reimbursement within the first six months after approval.

PAULA HELLER: Permanent work involves restoring facilities and infrastructure after the immediate emergency is addressed. Examples include repairing buildings damaged by fallen trees, roads and bridges, water control facilities, utilities, parks, and equipment. Permanent work typically has an 18-month completion period.

PAULA HELLER: An 18-month timeframe can be challenging, especially in communities devastated by catastrophic events. You can request extensions, particularly if you work closely with FEMA and communicate obstacles you've encountered. Some extensions are often granted.

PAULA HELLER: The process is deadline driven. For example, if a site visit is assigned it must be scheduled within 21 days, the site inspector has seven days to complete the report, and the assigned manager has two days to review that report before communicating back to the applicant.

PAULA HELLER: You must be engaged at every point and fully present, as site visits and inspections are tightly scheduled.

KAT KIZIOR: For people dealing with this for the first time, what steps should they take to start planning and gather the information needed within 30 days?

PAULA HELLER: Step back and look at the process with a longer lens. The first 30 days is the pre-application to determine eligibility and to estimate your needs. Take stock of short-term emergency expenses, such as chainsaws, dumpsters, labor, debris removal, and securing damaged structures.

PAULA HELLER: Estimate facility damages and ballpark costs. Review your insurance policies to determine coverage. Many people in flooded areas did not have flood insurance because they were not in a flood zone, so understanding insurance coverage is crucial.

PAULA HELLER: For example, if you have $100,000 in damages and your insurance covers 80 percent, the insurance covers $80,000. FEMA may cover 75 percent or more of the remaining eligible costs, which significantly reduces out-of-pocket expense.

PAULA HELLER: In the pre-application you indicate emergency costs, a rough estimate of repair costs, and what insurance will cover. That completes your pre-application, but it is the easiest part compared to what follows.

PAULA HELLER: If you are eligible, FEMA will create a master workbook where you list all impacts. Brainstorm comprehensively all possible losses, including revenue losses and damages you may recall later. You will work with your project manager to organize these impacts into projects.

PAULA HELLER: Within the first 60 days you will be assigned a manager, schedule regular meetings, write a project development plan, create timelines for grouping impacts, schedule site inspections, and collect documentation. By 60 days in you can be overwhelmed due to the volume of work.

KAT KIZIOR: That sounds daunting. It is complex work after receiving FEMA funds, but it is a path to recovery funds and grant funding.

KAT KIZIOR: Let's walk through the actual steps to apply. I know you must submit an SF-424, which is the federal financial assistance application. Where do applicants find the application and what do they do?

PAULA HELLER: FEMA has embedded the SF-424 concept in their portal because public entities are used to the 424 format. The portal captures the same information in a user-friendly way for applicants who do not speak federal grant language.

PAULA HELLER: You go to the portal, create a username and password, and answer the questions—essentially the same questions as the SF-424. You must complete this within 30 days of the declaration.

PAULA HELLER: The state can take the time needed to review your application and recommend eligibility to FEMA. FEMA then has three days to issue a determination. If eligible, within seven days you will be assigned a manager, and within 21 days you will have a recovery scoping meeting to set timelines and begin impact surveys.

PAULA HELLER: Many steps happen in the first 60 days and they are compliance driven. FEMA has internal benchmarks and will communicate frequently via email, phone, or text to meet their deadlines. Expect persistent outreach from FEMA.

KAT KIZIOR: At the time this podcast is released, the most important thing is to meet the 30-day deadline for the pre-application. Worry about the rest after the application is in, but do everything necessary to submit on time.

KAT KIZIOR: If listeners have questions or need help, you can email Paula or me. Paula is the person on this topic with the most direct experience. My email is kat.kizior@cbh.com and Paula's is paula.heller@cbh.com. Thank you; we hope this is informative.

PAULA HELLER: Thank you, everybody.

CHRISTIAN FUELLGRAF: This was Christian again. I hope you enjoyed this episode and look forward to our next one. Don't forget to subscribe.