Domain: Government
Question:
A recent incident caused my city to declare an emergency. I own a local business and am a resident; I need money for relief. How is the state of local emergency declared? Walk me through the process for Florida jurisdictions. My state declared the emergency a disaster. What does that mean? What's the purpose of the declaration? Who can issue it? What types of disaster declarations are there? If the president makes a disaster proclamation, what is that? How does the disaster proclamation process work and what can I use to take advantage of federal funds? What funding sources are available that I can use because of the disaster? What type of aid is provided for individual assistance? What is public assistance, and what are the categories for public assistance? Name some benefits people might receive for individual assistance and provide information about funding mechanisms. Define all of the different sources for the funding and the benefits.

Expected points in a correct answer:
States that the local governing body (Board of County Commissioners for counties) declares the state of local emergency under Florida Statute 252.38(3) and Lee County Ordinance 87-01
Defines Florida Statute 252.38(3) as the state law that grants local governing bodies the authority to declare a state of local emergency, establishing the legal basis for county-level emergency declarations in Florida
Defines Lee County Ordinance 87-01 as the local ordinance that operationalizes Florida Statute 252.38(3) for Lee County, specifying the Board of County Commissioners as the authorized declaring body
Explains that a disaster declaration activates state-level emergency response mechanisms
Explains that a disaster declaration opens pathways to federal assistance (e.g., FEMA Public Assistance, federal reimbursement, or FEMA authorizations)
States that obtaining federal funding requires following PAPPG requirements
Defines PAPPG as the FEMA Program and Policy Guide that governs how federal funds can be accessed and what expenses are eligible for reimbursement
States that obtaining federal funding requires maintaining proper documentation
Categorizes funding into three sources: federal, state, and local
Acknowledges that the Strategic Planning Workshop Presentation does not provide further information on individual assistance programs
Identifies at least three individual assistance programs, such as housing assistance, crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance, disaster legal services, or disaster supplemental nutrition assistance
Lists at least four public assistance categories (public ROW, bridgeless barrier islands, private roads/gated communities, private property, or commercial property)
Acknowledges that the Strategic Planning Workshop Presentation does not provide detail on presidential disaster proclamations specifically
States at least three elements of the presidential disaster proclamation process, such as: Governor requests through regional FEMA office, preliminary damage assessment is conducted, request must demonstrate disaster exceeds state/local capabilities, or request must be submitted within 30 days of incident end
Provides at least one historical hurricane example from the source material (Irma 2017, Ian 2022, or Milton 2024) with specific numerical data on debris volumes and/or costs
Acknowledges that the Strategic Planning Workshop Presentation does not provide detail on all types of disasters
States at least three purposes of the emergency declaration from the following: informing Governor/FDEM/FEMA, allowing evacuation orders, enabling emergency procurement, or supporting insurance claims
States that public assistance is generally provided on a 75% federal, 25% non-federal cost-sharing basis
States that the state of local emergency is limited to no more than 7 days initially, with extensions renewed in 7-day increments at the Board's discretion
States that the local emergency declaration must remain consistent with the State's executive order
Provides specific examples of state support mechanisms (state assumption of debris removal, state coordination with FEMA)
States that the FEMA Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) is revised every 3-5 years
States that the County Manager has emergency purchasing authority with first Ratification to Board for approval in 45 days
States that obtaining federal funding requires obtaining FEMA authorizations for specific activities
Provides at least one specific example for each of the three funding source categories (federal, state, and local), such as FEMA Public Assistance for federal, state debris removal for state, and county reserve funds for local
States that the State continues the governor's executive order until emergency expenses are paid
Defines a presidential disaster proclamation as a federal declaration requested by the Governor that, when approved by the President, activates federal disaster assistance programs
Describes at least three steps of the presidential disaster proclamation process from: Governor's request through regional FEMA office, preliminary damage assessment, demonstration that disaster exceeds state/local capabilities, certification of cost-sharing commitments, 30-day submission requirement, or President's decision
Defines public assistance as support to state, tribal, and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and facility repair/replacement
Identifies public assistance categories by location type, listing at minimum four categories (e.g., public right-of-way, bridgeless barrier islands, private roads/gated communities, private property, or commercial property)
States that debris removal from private property requires very specific approvals including Rights of Entry and Hold Harmless Agreements with Property Owners
States that commercial property is generally ineligible for public assistance, with exceptions for catastrophically/extensively damaged areas that may receive a waiver
States that Lee County maintains excess general revenue reserves (averaging $24M) as a local funding resource
States that the Governor must certify state/local cost-sharing commitments as part of the presidential disaster declaration request
States that obtaining federal funding requires submitting required paperwork demonstrating legal authority and public interest
States that obtaining federal funding requires compliance with cost-sharing requirements (typically 75% federal, 25% non-federal)
Describes the process for public right-of-way debris removal on mainland and bridge-connected areas, including that it involves public right-of-way set out, monitored collection, debris management site, and final disposal
States that the Ratifications to the Board continue until the emergency response is complete
States that FEMA Program and Policy Guide version 4 establishes specific eligibility categories including private roads and gated communities, private property, and commercial property
States that for private roads/gated communities, if the public has unrestricted access and frequent use, no County action is required, but if access is restricted and use infrequent, the County must document and it is highly recommended to submit to FEMA for prior approval