FEMA Public Assistance Funding for Disaster Operations in a Pandemic

FEMA remains committed to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners in providing support to manage disaster response and recovery efforts during the 2021 Hurricane Season and peak of the wildfire season.

The following FEMA Public Assistance (PA) funding options are available to help address the challenges of managing disaster response and recovery operations in incidents that occur during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

New Emergency, Major Disaster, and Fire Management Assistance Grant Declarations

• Non-Congregate Sheltering – FEMA PA funding is available to support non-congregate and congregate sheltering in new incidents as they occur during the pandemic. FEMA encourages SLTT officials to fully consider the use of non-congregate sheltering as part of their emergency response to new incidents. This funding is eligible under emergency or major disaster declarations for the new incident.
• Testing – FEMA PA funding is available to support the safe operation of shelters in new incidents, including costs for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and screening, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), social distancing signage, and cleaning/disinfection.
• FEMA has extended its policy for the eligibility of non-congregate sheltering in incidents declared for natural disasters during the pandemic: FEMA Emergency Non-Congregate Sheltering during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Interim) | FEMA.gov.

COVID-19 Emergency and Major Disaster Declarations

• Non-Congregate Shelter Planning – FEMA encourages SLTT officials to include non-congregate sheltering as part of their emergency operations planning. Costs to conduct planning and readiness for non-congregate sheltering in potential new incidents are eligible for PA reimbursement under current COVID-19 Major Disaster and Emergency declarations. The Mass Care/Emergency Assistance Pandemic Planning Considerations (fema.gov) provides planning considerations for jurisdictions that are a) responding to a pandemic or b) responding to a pandemic occurring concurrently with a natural, technological and/or human-caused disaster.
• Vaccinations – FEMA continues to support the critical mission of vaccination administration under the COVID-19 Major Disaster and Emergency declarations. This may include administration of vaccinations at the location of shelters that open and operate for hurricane, wildfire, or other incidents.

FEMA Public Assistance Funding for Disaster Operations in a Pandemic

• FEMA has issued guidance outlining the types of assistance available from FEMA for the COVID-19 pandemic: Public Assistance Disaster-Specific Guidance - COVID-19 Declarations | FEMA.gov.

COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance

• FEMA has also developed and issued operational guidance for use by state, tribal, and territorial officials to support all-hazard incident response and recovery efforts amidst the pandemic: COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for All-Hazards Incident Response and Recovery | FEMA.gov.

Public Assistance Funding for Emergency Protective Measures

• FEMA PA funding is also available for other emergency protective measures (Category B), when authorized for a new incident, for work necessary to meet immediate threats to life and property: Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide Version 4 | FEMA.gov. As a reminder, COVID-19 declarations are in accordance with Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide V3.1 | FEMA.gov. since the PAPPG version 3.1 was the policy guidance in effect at the time of the declaration. The interim policy for COVID-19 funding may be found here.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs:

• Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
• Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
• Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
• Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov