On March 22, 2020, President Donald Trump approved the Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4482-DR, California Disaster Declaration (DR-4482) for the California COVID-19 Pandemic. The approval of the DR-4482 authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance to process reimbursement for emergency protective measures related to COVID-19.
To be eligible for reimbursement, local educational agencies (LEAs) must submit a request for public assistance (RPA) through the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Grants Portal account. The RPA is due no later than April 17, 2020. For LEAs that do not have a Grants Portal account, Cal OES recommends sending a request to DisasterRecovery@caloes.ca.gov.
Although it is impossible to determine if, when, and how much may be received for reimbursement, FEMA may provide assistance for emergency protective measures including, but not limited to, the following:
- Management, control, and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Operation Center costs
- Training specific to the declared event
- Disinfection of eligible public facilities
- Technical assistance to state, tribal, territorial, or local governments on emergency management and control of immediate threats to public health and safety
- Emergency medical care
- Non‐deferrable medical treatment of infected persons in a shelter or temporary medical facility
- Related medical facility services and supplies
- Temporary medical facilities and/or enhanced medical/hospital capacity (for treatment when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near term and cannot accommodate the patient load, or to quarantine potentially infected persons)
- Use of specialized medical equipment
- Medical waste disposal
- Emergency medical transport
- Medical sheltering (e.g., when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near future and cannot accommodate needs)
- All sheltering must be conducted in accordance with standards and/or guidance approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the CDC and must be implemented in a manner that incorporates social distancing measures
- Non‐congregate medical sheltering is subject to prior approval by FEMA and is limited to that which is reasonable and necessary to address the public health needs of the event, is pursuant to the direction of appropriate public health officials, and does not extend beyond the duration of the public health emergency
- Broad reimbursement categories attributable to LEAs include:
- Household pet sheltering and containment actions related to household pets in accordance with CDC guidelines
- Purchase and distribution of food, water, ice, medicine, and other consumable supplies, to include personal protective equipment and hazardous material suits
- Movement of supplies and persons
- Security and law enforcement
- Communications to the public of general health and safety information
- Search and rescue to locate and recover members of the population requiring assistance
- Reimbursement for state, tribe, territory, and/or local government force account overtime costs
Information about eligible emergency protective expenditures can be found in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (FP 104-009-2 / April 2018). FEMA will not duplicate funds provided by the HHS or the CDC.
The reference guide for creating and setting up an account through the Grants Portal, as well as submitting the RPA, can be accessed by clicking here.