ONE WEEK REMAINS TO REQUEST FREE FEMA HELP FOR MITIGATION PLANNING
AND PROJECT SUPPORT
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20240222/one-week-remains-request-free-fema-help-mitigation-planning-and-project]


Release Date: 
February 22, 2024 

WASHINGTON -- A deadline is approaching for communities and Tribal
Nations to receive free FEMA help with hazard mitigation planning and
potential Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities]
(BRIC) project support.

Communities and Tribal Nations that lack resources to begin climate
resilience planning and designing projects have until Thursday, Feb.
29, 2024, to submit forms to request BRIC Direct Technical Assistance
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/direct-technical-assistance/communities].

“As the nation faces increasing threats from climate change, we know
there are communities that need support to increase their ability to
better withstand the hazards of today and tomorrow,” said FEMA
Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Direct Technical Assistance is the
tool FEMA has to provide hand-in-hand support to these communities. We
want to help as many communities as possible to advance resilience. I
encourage communities to apply while the application period is still
open.”

FEMA’s BRIC Direct Technical Assistance offers tailored support to
communities and Tribal Nations
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/direct-technical-assistance/communities]
for up to 36 months through a range of activities from pre-application
to grant closeout to further explore and better understand their
specific requests for technical assistance.

The agency plans to announce the community and Tribal Nation
selections later this summer. FEMA has already announced a total of 74
communities and Tribal Nations to receive support from FEMA’s BRIC
Direct Technical Assistance. FEMA is expecting to make 80 additional
selections from the open application period.

One example of a Direct Technical Assistance selection benefiting from
the program is DePue, Illinois
[https://www.fema.gov/case-study/illinois-depue-wastewater-treatment-plant-rebuild],
an economically disadvantaged rural community. DePue  was the first
DTA community selected in the BRIC national competition
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/after-apply/selections].
 

Using $23 million from the FY2022 BRIC funding cycle, local leaders
plan to build a new wastewater treatment plant on property outside
flood prone areas. The old plant -- overwhelmed during flooding in
2008 leading to sewage backup in homes -- will be torn down to create
open space. 

Project types from past BRIC Direct Technical Assistance requests
include:

	* General support in grants management, project scoping and hazard
mitigation planning.
	* Technical assistance and evaluation for climate risk assessment and
nature-based solutions projects.
	* Natural hazards project scoping activities, such as flooding,
drought, fire, typhoon and erosion.

To be considered for selection, applicants do not need a previous BRIC
grant subapplication, award or a FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Interested communities and Tribal Nations can apply to this program by
submitting a BRIC Direct Technical Assistance Request Form
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/direct-technical-assistance]
to fema-bric-dta-submission@fema.dhs.gov for this cycle of
selections. 

For FEMA’s fiscal year, 2023 BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/notice-funding-opportunities/fy2023-nofo],
communities and Tribal Nations requesting BRIC Direct Technical
Assistance must identify at least two ongoing or potential community
partners in the request form. Identifying community partners is
essential as they will work with selected communities and Tribal
Nations by providing collaborative support throughout the 36-month
program to plan for climate resilience or design projects.

To learn more about BRIC Direct Technical Assistance, visit FEMA.gov
[https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/direct-technical-assistance/communities].