B.12. Warning System

Warning residents of impending hazards and automating certain risk reduction functions can reduce damage from natural disasters and may be used to increase accessibility to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

In general, warning systems may be eligible for HMA if they meet the general program eligibility requirements, including feasibility and cost-effectiveness. For HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC earthquake early warning system project eligibility, refer to Part 12.B.12.2.1.1.

For purposes of HMGP and HMGP Post Fire, equipment and systems to warn residents of impending hazards are generally eligible under the 5 Percent Initiative. For more information on the 5 Percent Initiative, refer to Part 10. Since Oct. 5, 2020, earthquake early warning systems are also authorized under Section 404 of the Stafford Act for general HMGP assistance if the conditions outlined in Part 12.B.12.2.1 are met.^[489]

For purposes of BRIC, warning projects are generally eligible if they meet program requirements. When seeking assistance for these projects, it is important that applicants describe how the system will be used to reduce potential injury and damage from a natural disaster (i.e., what actions will be associated with the warning).

Eligible warning projects include but are not limited to warning systems for the following:

• Enhanced or reversed 911 systems: Enhanced 911 systems automatically provide the caller’s location to the 911 dispatchers. These systems may provide an address or latitude and longitude so that cell phone users’ locations can be determined. Reverse 911 systems allow safety organizations to alert individuals and businesses to the risk of danger by sending a recorded voice message to landline telephones and a recorded voice message or text message to registered cell phones within a defined geographic area.
• Weather stations/rain gauges: Weather stations typically monitor a combination of indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. Complete weather stations also monitor wind and rain using wind sensors and rain gauges, and some also measure ultraviolet index, soil moisture and water temperature. Rain gauges collect and measure the amount of rain that falls during a given period of time per unit area. They can be part of a total weather station or an independent piece of equipment. Meteorologists and hydrologists use the information from these stations to predict future weather and refine forecast models.
• Wildfire warning signs: Installing warning equipment and systems, including electronic signs and signals, for warning residents about wildfire hazards and hazard identification-related equipment is an eligible activity under the 5 Percent Initiative. The general intent of these signs is to provide warning of fire risk and/or evacuation orders for people in the area.

HMGP and BRIC recipients may leverage assistance to support building capability for earthquake early warning systems. Earthquake early warning systems use seismic instrumentation to monitor seismic activity in real time to detect significant earthquakes near the source and transmit those signals to a seismic monitoring network. The monitoring network can quickly send out a warning to alert people within the region before shaking arrives.

The following three categories of activities that support building capability for earthquake early warning may be assisted under HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC:

• Regional seismic networks.
• Geodetic networks.
• Seismometers, global positioning system receivers and associated infrastructure such as telemetry or computer processing needed to build capability for an earthquake early warning system designed as part of the Advanced National Seismic System or other existing state- or federally-supported earthquake monitoring networks. They must be part of a system that enables end user notification. FEMA, in consultation with the U.S. Geological Survey, determined the Advanced National Seismic System ShakeAlert system is the only system that currently enables end user notification.

Seismic and geodetic sensors and infrastructure assisted under HMGP, HMGP Post Fire or BRIC must be integrated into an existing operational earthquake monitoring network, and data from these sensors must be freely available to the public.

HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC assistance are not available for earthquake early warning systems’ operations and maintenance costs. A general list of ineligible activities is included in Part 4.

Earthquake early warning systems are exempt from the requirement to demonstrate cost-effectiveness.

All subapplications submitted to FEMA must meet the EHP criteria in Part 4. All subapplications must provide the information described in Part 6 so that FEMA may perform the EHP review.

All subapplications submitted to FEMA for warning systems must meet the eligibility criteria in Part 4. All subapplications must have a scoping narrative in accordance with Part 6. Project-specific criteria are highlighted below.

FEMA may request additional information after the subapplication has been submitted to ensure all necessary information is received. However, all information required by the regulations and the HMA Guide must be received before an assistance decision and award or final approval can be made.

Subapplicants may apply for subrecipient management costs to cover administrative costs. Management costs must be included in the subapplication budget as a separate line item. More information about the requirements for management cost requests can be found in Part 13.

Subapplications will need to clearly demonstrate how the proposed activities will integrate into seismic monitoring networks to build earthquake early warning capability and help to reduce risk from earthquakes. A benefit-cost analysis is not required. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their FEMA region to determine the appropriate level of data needed to submit a subapplication for earthquake early warning.

Post-award monitoring helps ensure subrecipients are achieving the objectives of the federal award consistent with the performance goals and milestones described in the subaward. To assist the recipient in monitoring warning system projects, the following milestone information or events should be included in Quarterly Progress Reports:

• If the subrecipient is acquiring contract support, the subrecipient should report when the request for proposal is completed, when the contract is out for bid, when the bid period closes, when proposals are reviewed, when the contractor is selected and the date of the kickoff meeting.
• Describe the current status including a summary of:
  • Recent progress and planned work.
  • Risks identified or changes from the milestones/deliverables submitted with the scope of work (e.g., financial concerns, coordination issues with state or local governments and utilities, project management or contracting issues, legal disputes, and significant changes impacting construction activities or timelines such as delays due to weather, materials, procurement or labor issues).
• When construction has started, is substantially complete or completed.
• Any other milestones that have been identified in the subapplication or agreed to or are required by the recipient.

Recipients are required to report deviations from budget, project scope or objectives in accordance with Part 8. Recipients must request prior approvals from FEMA for budget and program plan revisions.^[490] If the final design is not complete prior to award, once the project is awarded, the design must be finalized by a licensed design professional. Any changes to the scope of work or budget because of completing the final design or to address permitting requirements must be consistent with Part 8. Construction design activities are defined as construction activities; therefore, budget changes involving them must be consistent with Part 8.F.2.

Recipients and subrecipients must closeout projects in a timely manner consistent with Part 9.