Understanding Energy Equity

Steve Hagerty Selected for FEMA’s Vanguard Executive Crisis Leaders Fellowship

Bird Flu and Beyond: Preparing Our Nation’s Healthcare System

Preparing for Increasing Climate-Driven Hazards

The Hagerty Advantage – Our People: Jessi Widhalm, Tori Abbott, Meagan Flanagan, and Joely Bertram

Blizzard Conditions Impact The West Coast While Record Breaking Wildfires Affect The Texas Panhandle

Migrant Arrivals: Local and State Response and the Role of Emergency Management

Atmospheric River Brings Extreme Flooding, Winds, and Mudslides to California

The Hagerty Advantage – Our People: Andrew Bohnert, Marina Conner, Harrison Newton

Extreme Winter Weather Continues To Impact Nearly 80 Percent Of The US With More Winter Storms To Come

Extreme Winter Storms Impacting Large Portions the US with More Severe Weather on the Way this Weekend

Charged for the Uncertain: Enhancing the Readiness of Electric Utilities Through Program Assessments

University of Maryland, Baltimore COVID-19 Cost Recovery

Hurricane Michael Recovery

Active Threat Cohort Training

Mid-America Regional Council Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack Exercise Series

Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack Full-Scale Exercise

Mass Violence and Terrorism Recovery Planning

Community Disaster Loan Applications & Cancellation

Mississippi Alternative Housing Pilot Program

Training and Exercising for Cybersecurity Threats

Full-Scale Exercise Helps Capital Region Prepare

New Hampshire Recovery Plan and Tabletop Exercise

Compliant Shelter Operations

Assistance with Post-Hurricane Disaster Reimbursement Claim

Emergency Operation Plan Review and Update

Emergency Preparedness Plans for School District

Promote Mission Ready Package Development

Ravinia Festival Emergency Operations Plan

Evaluation of the Disaster Housing Assistance Pilot Program

New York City Housing Authority Program Management Services

Evacuation Best Practice Guidance

Active Shooter Scenario

American Flag overlooking snowy Great Falls Montana

Business Interruption Claim

Continuity of Operations Program (COOP)

Developing and Implementing a Citizen Preparedness Plan

Financial Review and Analysis of a Sheltering System

Meeting Facilitation for Post-Disaster Housing Delivery

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)

Environmental Health Emergency Response Project (ERP)

Pennsylvania State University lion statue

HSEEP-Compliant Functional Exercise

Updating a Volunteer Plan

Quarantine and Isolation Workshops

Developing a Threat Response Guide

Lighthouse looking over ocean in New England

Shelter and Mass Care Planning

Post-Katrina Accounting Support

9/11 Public Assistance Support

9/11 Expedited Public Assistance Closeout

Gap Program Support

Joint Housing Solutions Group Program Support

New Madrid Seismic Zone Catastrophic Planning

Hurricane Sandy Recovery

Report: Hagerty Partners with the National Academy of Public Administration to Address Disaster Resiliency Challenges

Hagerty Feature: Popular Mechanics

Hagerty Feature: MSNBC

Hagerty Feature: Bloomberg TV

Hagerty Feature: Bloomberg Radio

Hagerty Mention: POLITICO

Press Release: Hagerty’s Stan Gimont joins Bipartisan Policy Center Task Force to Improve Federal Disaster Assistance

Hagerty Feature: BBC News America

Hagerty Feature: NPR Marketplace

Hagerty Opinion: Worcester Telegram

<p>Hagerty works with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, private nonprofits (PNP), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support disaster recovery. Under the Public Assistance (PA) Program, FEMA can provide funding to SLTTs and PNPs after a Presidential Disaster Declaration to support debris removal, emergency protective measures (e.g., sheltering, search/rescue, etc.), permanent facility restoration, and hazard mitigation projects. Our services are tailored to the specific needs of our clients through every step of the PA process.</p>
<ul>
<li>For SLTT and PNP clients, we apply unmatched policy expertise with PA Program management to facilitate a resilient recovery and maximize FEMA funding.</li>
<li>For FEMA as a client, we provide technical assistance to strengthen PA Program delivery to support state-managed and locally executed recovery.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Our Approach</h3>
<p>We apply almost 20 years of experience to help clients understand the suite of federal programs that may interact with PA and navigate comprehensive community recovery. Hagerty’s approach to the recovery process focuses on developing effective communications and strong partnerships between PA applicants, recipients at the state, tribal, or territorial level, and FEMA. We believe our clients are best served by resolving disputes up front to minimize time-consuming and costly appeals. This allows our clients to claim all eligible PA costs, execute recovery projects promptly, and close out grants in a timely and efficient manner.</p>
<p>Recent adjustments to the PA Program have made it even more critical to leverage Hagerty’s deep knowledge and understanding. Depending on the date of the disaster, different rules and requirements apply. Congress has passed multiple laws to amend the PA Program and FEMA recently implemented a new delivery model that leverages a grants portal system. Fortunately, our professionals include former FEMA employees and PA experts in cost estimating, grants management, hazard mitigation, insurance, procurement, contracting, and overall policy. This allows our clients to draw from a deep bench of expertise and experience to create customized recovery solutions.</p>
<p>Read <a href="https://hagertyconsulting.com/casestudy/post-katrina-accounting-support/"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="https://hagertyconsulting.com/casestudy/hurricane-sandy-recovery/"><b>here</b></a> about two client successes that stand out in particular.</p>
<p>Below are three examples of how the PA Program continues to change along with our approach to client delivery.</p>
<h3>SECTION 428 ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROCEDURES</h3>
<p>FEMA’s Section 428 Public Assistance Alternative Procedures (PAAP) Program provides financial incentives for timely and cost-effective PA project completion. It allows our clients to focus on how to best achieve an outcome-driven community recovery while reducing the administrative burden of the standard PA Program.</p>
<p>The goals of this program include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reduce costs to the federal government of providing PA funding;</li>
<li>Increase the flexibility of administering that assistance; and</li>
<li>Expedite assistance to SLTTs or PNPs for restoring and protecting damaged facilities.</li>
</ul>
<p>Hagerty has successfully supported clients in obtaining more than $5.8 billion of Section 428 PAAP project funding. This work is focused on projects that repair, replace, and/or protect damaged public facilities and to remove disaster-related debris.</p>
<p>We understand the nuances of Alternative Procedures; and, based on client recovery needs, we advise if Section 428 is the best path to PA funding. This includes determining if project cost estimates are sufficient to accept capped Alternative Procedures funding for permanent work and how to leverage the full range of flexibilities available.</p>
<h3>THE DISASTER RECOVERY REFORM ACT</h3>
<p>The <i>Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) of 2018</i> includes 56 provisions that amend FEMA policy or regulation – including significant changes to the PA Program. It fundamentally alters how SLTTs and private non-profits (PNPs) must understand FEMA assistance – and it is still not fully implemented more than two years after it was signed into law. Hagerty professionals have experience with early DRRA implementation and advises clients on how changes to PA might affect their recovery.</p>
<h3>COVID-19 PA POLICY</h3>
<p>FEMA leveraged its PA Program to assist SLTTs and PNPs affected by the unprecedented Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). While the response is ongoing, FEMA quickly leveraged existing and issued new policy and guidance in response to COVID-19 by expanding emergency work funding to reimburse emergency food distribution, non-congregate sheltering, and other activities critical to response efforts during the pandemic. Hagerty is helping clients nationwide to understand the complexities of COVID-19 policy and leverage PA funding.</p>


Blog Post

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funding

Publication

FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program