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GovStar guidePAPPG v5.0 / CHAPTER 7 COMPENDIUM

STAFFORD ACT §§ 403 & 407 • 44 C.F.R. PART 206

Emergency Work Eligibility

Comprehensive operational guide to Public Assistance Category A (Debris Removal) and Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) — detailing statutory prerequisites, cost standards, documentation requirements, and agency jurisdiction boundaries.

6 Mos

Statutory Completion Deadline

From declaration date (44 CFR § 206.204(c)). Evaluated for continuous urgency.

5 Years

Immediate Threat Horizon

Additional damage reasonably expected within 5 years from incident (44 CFR § 206.221(c)).

50%

Root-Ball Extraction Rule

Threshold for full tree/stump removal + hole backfill reimbursement vs. flush-cut only.

30 Days

Emergency Care & NCS Initial Cap

Prescriptions, medical ER delivery, and non-congregate meals cap before formal extension.

PAPPG v5.0 CHAPTER 7STATUTORY FOUNDATION & IMMEDIATE THREAT STANDARDS

44 C.F.R. § 206.201(B) & § 206.223

1. Eligibility Considerations for Emergency Work

FEMA Public Assistance (PA) funding for emergency work is authorized following a Presidential declaration for work that must be performed immediately. Emergency work is divided into two distinct statutory categories: Category A (Debris Removal) and Category B (Emergency Protective Measures).

INFOGRAPHIC 01

The Four Cardinal Emergency Work Criteria

FEMA PAPPG FIGURE 9 EQUIVALENT

1. Save Lives

Exigent operations to rescue victims, stabilize injuries, and remove immediate mortal perils.

2. Protect Health & Safety

Measures countering sanitary hazards, biohazards, contaminated water, disease vectors, or structural collapse.

3. Protect Improved Property

Safeguarding publicly or privately improved structures, engineered facilities, or contents (44 CFR § 206.221(d)).

4. Eliminate Immediate Threat

Mitigate additional destruction reasonably expected to manifest within a 5-year event horizon (44 CFR § 206.221(c)).

The 5-Year "Immediate Threat" Doctrine

Under 44 C.F.R. § 206.221(c), an "immediate threat" is defined as the threat of additional damage or destruction from an incident that can reasonably be expected to occur within five years of the declared incident.

The Multi-Hazard Trigger Rule: The declared disaster must have caused the immediate threat to exist; however, the subsequent secondary threat itself can stem from any hazard type.

Source Case Example: Post-fire rainfall triggering mudslides and debris flows in an area scorched by a Presidentially declared wildfire. Even though rainfall is not wildfire, emergency stabilization to eliminate threats from rain events occurring within 5 years is fully eligible under the wildfire declaration.

Applicant Legal Responsibility & Types

Emergency work must be the legal responsibility of an eligible applicant under 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(3).

SLTT Governments: State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial entities. Evaluating facility eligibility is not necessary for most emergency work; eligibility is founded on immediate threat and legal jurisdiction.
Private Nonprofits (PNPs): Emergency response is a governmental duty. Eligible PNP emergency work is strictly confined to:
- Debris removal from the eligible facility property itself; and
- Emergency protective measures to prevent damage to the facility and contents.
PNP Essential Emergency Services Exception: If a PNP renders community emergency services (fire/rescue, ambulance, 211, animal control) under a formal written contract with an SLTT, funding is disbursed through the SLTT applicant.
Direct PNP Reimbursement: Permitted directly for medical/custodial care patient evacuations and authorized volunteer fire departments with SLTT territorial agreements.

TABLE 20 • REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR EMERGENCY WORK ELIGIBILITYGAO FINANCIAL AUDIT SAMPLING

Small Projects Criteria	Large Projects Criteria
Detailed description of emergency work performed. Certification Option: Applicants may certify to the following requirements in lieu of upfront comprehensive documentation: Work was necessitated by an immediate threat; Activities resulted directly from the declared incident; Work occurred on improved property in a declared area; and The applicant holds legal responsibility to conduct the work.	Detailed description of emergency work performed. Detailed description of the immediate threat. Evidentiary Records: Comprehensive technical reports, certified safety inspector evaluations, engineering assessments, and contemporaneous photographs substantiating the presence of an immediate threat if not visually self-evident. Note: FEMA utilizes attribute-based sampling to audit supporting documentation for PA projects.

Small Projects Criteria

Large Projects Criteria

Detailed description of emergency work performed.

Certification Option: Applicants may certify to the following requirements in lieu of upfront comprehensive documentation:

Work was necessitated by an immediate threat;
Activities resulted directly from the declared incident;
Work occurred on improved property in a declared area; and
The applicant holds legal responsibility to conduct the work.

Detailed description of emergency work performed.

Detailed description of the immediate threat.

Evidentiary Records: Comprehensive technical reports, certified safety inspector evaluations, engineering assessments, and contemporaneous photographs substantiating the presence of an immediate threat if not visually self-evident.

Note: FEMA utilizes attribute-based sampling to audit supporting documentation for PA projects.

PAPPG v5.0 CHAPTER 7CATEGORY A: DEBRIS REMOVAL POLICY

STAFFORD ACT § 407 • 44 C.F.R. § 206.224

2. Debris Removal Operations (Category A)

Debris removal operations (clearance, collection, staging, reduction, recycling, and final disposal) are eligible for PA reimbursement if the work is determined to be in the public interest.

Public Interest Justification Tests

Under 44 C.F.R. § 206.224(a), debris removal is in the public interest if necessary to:

Eliminate immediate threats to life, public health, and safety;
Eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public or private property;
Ensure economic recovery of the affected community-at-large (restricted to large commercial sectors where widespread blockages paralyze municipal viability); or
Reduce risk to life and property by removing substantially damaged structures on properties acquired via HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) for open-space/wetland uses (must complete within 2 years).

Snow Exclusion

Snow is NOT debris. Snow removal, road clearing, and salting are never eligible under Category A; they are restricted exclusively to Category B emergency protective measures when specifically declared by the President.

Eligible vs. Ineligible Debris & Locations

Recognized Forms of Debris: Vegetative debris, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, sand, mud, silt, gravel, rocks, boulders, white goods, and vehicle/vessel wreckage.

ELIGIBLE REMOVAL SITES:

Improved public property and public Rights-of-Way (ROWs), including federal-aid roads (Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate & National Highway System).
Incident debris moved from residential, non-commercial properties to the public ROW by residents pursuant to local authorizations.

STRICTLY INELIGIBLE SITES:

Commercial debris placed onto public ROWs.
Federally maintained navigable channels and waterways (under USACE or USCG statutory authority).
Agricultural land and natural, unimproved land (heavily wooded lots, unused parcels).
Materials from construction, repair, or renovation of private structures.

TABLE 21 • REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL AND DISPOSALAUDIT SPECIFICATIONS

Small Projects Submittals	Large Projects Submittals
Estimated or actual debris quantities removed, reduced, disposed, and recycled by type. Proof of debris monitoring conducted if operations were contracted. Locations of Temporary Debris Staging and Reduction Sites (TDSRs) and final disposal sites. Disposal site classifications (municipal, private, commercial + vendor names). Permits and environmental authorizations for reduction/disposal sites. Evidence substantiating waterway debris was not pre-existing. Interagency regulatory coordination documentation. Invasive species quarantine compliance verification (quarantine name, disposal method).	All Small Project requirements PLUS: Contemporaneous Load Tickets (collection point to disposal). Tower Logs and disposal verification records. Photographs of pre- and post-collection debris impacts. Proof of monitoring logs and contract monitor qualifications. Hazardous Trees, Limbs & Stumps: Detailed documentation substantiating the immediate threat specifics, GPS coordinates, and photographic/video evidence.

Small Projects Submittals

Large Projects Submittals

Estimated or actual debris quantities removed, reduced, disposed, and recycled by type.
Proof of debris monitoring conducted if operations were contracted.
Locations of Temporary Debris Staging and Reduction Sites (TDSRs) and final disposal sites.
Disposal site classifications (municipal, private, commercial + vendor names).
Permits and environmental authorizations for reduction/disposal sites.
Evidence substantiating waterway debris was not pre-existing.
Interagency regulatory coordination documentation.
Invasive species quarantine compliance verification (quarantine name, disposal method).

All Small Project requirements PLUS:
Contemporaneous Load Tickets (collection point to disposal).
Tower Logs and disposal verification records.
Photographs of pre- and post-collection debris impacts.
Proof of monitoring logs and contract monitor qualifications.
Hazardous Trees, Limbs & Stumps: Detailed documentation substantiating the immediate threat specifics, GPS coordinates, and photographic/video evidence.

PAPPG v5.0 CHAPTER 7VEGETATIVE HAZARDS: TREES, LIMBS, AND STUMPS

44 C.F.R. § 206.224 • STAFFORD ACT § 407

Hazardous Limbs, Trees, and Stumps

Vegetative debris still standing or rooted is eligible only if damaged by the declared incident to the extent that it poses an immediate threat to life, public health and safety, or improved property. Routine pruning, landscaping, and pre-existing decay are strictly ineligible.

INFOGRAPHIC 02

Vegetative Hazard Eligibility & Root-Ball Rule Architecture

50% EXPOSURE CUTOFF

1. Hazardous Limbs / Branches

Broken/hanging limbs over improved property or public facilities (sidewalks, trails, playgrounds).

Minimum Cut Doctrine: Only the cut required to eliminate the hazard is eligible. Cutting at the trunk when cutting at the nearest branch junction eliminates the threat is INELIGIBLE.

Private Property Limbs: Eligible ONLY if extending over public ROW, posing an immediate threat, and cut from ROW without entering private property.

2. Hazardous Standing Trees

Standing tree with structural split, severe lean, or root system damage certified by a qualified individual (TRAQ / Certified Arborist / Forester).

Root-Ball ≥ 50% Exposed: Full tree & root-ball removal PLUS filling the root-ball hole are eligible. (Single unit cost; no double-billing).

Root-Ball < 50% Exposed: Flush-cut at ground level ONLY. Grinding the residual stump is INELIGIBLE.

3. Hazardous Stumps

Dislodged stumps requiring mechanical extraction.

Stumps ≥ 50% Exposed: Extraction and backfilling hole are eligible. If in-place grinding is cheaper, grinding is eligible.

Stumps < 50% Exposed: Flush-cut only; grinding residual stump is ineligible.

EHP Consultation: Areas with archaeological sensitivity require SHPO/THPO consultation. Stop work immediately if artifacts appear!

Required Tree/Stump Submittals: Quantity removed; quantity, location, and source of fill material for root-ball depressions; certified equipment logs; and arborist assessment justifying the immediate threat.

CATEGORY A · DEBRIS REMOVALSPECIALIZED DEBRIS OPERATIONS & PRIVATE PROPERTY

WATERWAYS • REDUCTIONS • PPDR

Waterway Debris Removal Rules

Eligible only when necessary to eliminate an immediate threat to life, public health and safety, or improved property.

Navigable Waterways: If the applicant has legal maintenance responsibility, clearance is eligible to a maximum depth of 2 feet below the low-tide draft of the largest vessel utilizing the channel pre-disaster. Debris below this depth is ineligible unless extending up into the zone.
Federally Maintained Channels: Ineligible for PA. USACE and USCG retain exclusive federal removal authority.
Non-Navigable Waterways: Eligible if debris threatens improved facilities/intakes, bridges, culverts, or creates flooding risks during a 5-year flood event (20% annual chance).
NRCS PL 83-566 Watershed Projects: Flood control works installed under NRCS WFPO authority are strictly ineligible for PA, even if NRCS lacks funds!
Sonar Surveys: Random side-scan sonar surveys are ineligible. Sonar is eligible only after impact zones are confirmed.

Debris Reduction, Compaction & Tipping Fees

FEMA mandates volume reductions for inefficient loading methods to ensure cost-effectiveness:

Hand-Loaded Trucks / Trailers:50% DEDUCTION

Hand-loaded vegetative debris achieves only half mechanical compaction. FEMA funds only 50% of monitor-observed capacity.

Trucks Without Solid Tailgates:15% DEDUCTION

Cannot achieve full compaction. FEMA caps reimbursement at 85% of certified capacity.

Tipping Fees: Variable operating costs (labor, power) and fixed costs (permits, closure, equipment) are eligible. Taxes for non-landfill general services and loss of landfill capacity value are INELIGIBLE.

SPECIAL POLICY

Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR)

STRICT PREREQUISITES

Debris removal from private property is typically the owner's legal responsibility and generally ineligible. However, when catastrophe leaves debris so widespread that it threatens public health, safety, or community economic survival, FEMA may approve PPDR.

1. Private Roads

Unrestricted Public Access: If frequently traveled without gates/guards, removal is demonstrably in public interest (no extra documentation needed).
Restricted Access / Gated: Applicant must prove public interest to FEMA. Driveways are ineligible.

2. Residential Lots

Evaluated against public health factors: open/accessible yards next to sidewalks, debris height/volume, rodent vectors, community density, and % homes destroyed.

3. Commercial Property

Ineligible by default (commercial insurance expected). Rare exceptions require FEMA Regional Administrator approval for critical economic viability. Commercial debris placed on ROW is barred.

TABLE 22 • MANDATORY PPDR DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE

Written roster identifying specific geographic properties and parcels where PPDR occurred.
Authorized official declaration certifying legal authority and responsibility (citing statutes, health codes, or emergency powers).
Signed Rights-of-Entry (ROE) agreements and Federal hold-harmless indemnification executed with property owners.
Evidence that private insurance proceeds were pursued to eliminate Duplication of Benefits (DOB) under Stafford Act § 312.

PAPPG v5.0 CHAPTER 7 · PP. 130–140CATEGORY B: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES (EPM)

44 C.F.R. § 206.225

3. Emergency Protective Measures (Category B)

Emergency protective measures conducted before, during, and after an incident are eligible if they eliminate or lessen immediate threats to lives, public health, or safety, or eliminate/lessen immediate threats of significant additional damage to improved property in a cost-effective manner.

Saving Lives and Protecting Public Health & Safety

PRIMARY CATEGORY B

Eligible emergency protective measures include, but are not limited to, the following life-safety activities:

Search and rescue (SAR): Locating disaster survivors, household pets, and service animals requiring emergency assistance.
Firefighting: Immediate containment and suppression of disaster-sparked fires.
Security and access control: Law enforcement patrols, barricades, fencing, and access-control checkpoints around dangerous perimeters.
Public hazard warnings: Dissemination of accessible, timely emergency directives via flyers, media, and public warnings.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC): Direction, coordination, facility lease, utility surcharges, and supply costs.
Temporary emergency generators: Leasing or deploying generators for facilities delivering essential community services.

Emergency medical care & transport: Ambulances, mobile triage units, and first aid stations.
Evacuation and congregate sheltering: Safe transport, lodging, feeding, and functional needs support.
Childcare services: Licensed daycare/afterschool programs supporting sheltered populations.
Debris push / cut-and-toss: Initial road clearance to allow responder access (Stafford Act 403(a)(3)(A)).
Building safety inspections: Post-disaster "red-tagging" and habitability evaluations (safety only, not damage appraisals).
Mass mortuary services: Search, recovery, storage, and interment of unidentified human remains (individual funerals ineligible).

Protecting Improved Property

PROPERTY SAFEGUARDS

Eligible emergency measures to avert catastrophic secondary property destruction include:

Emergency berms and temporary levees: Rapid containment to hold back floodwaters or redirect mudflows.
Temporary structural shoring: Buttressing, shoring, bracing, or securing damaged facilities to avert imminent collapse.
Temporary roof stabilization: Plastic tarping, temporary repairs, or fiber sheeting to halt water infiltration.
Emergency slope stabilization: Rock toes, cribwalls, soldier piles, or drainage ditches to arrest landslides.

Contents evacuation: Moving and temporarily warehousing supplies, records, and equipment from endangered eligible facilities.
Expeditious dewatering: Pumping water, mud, and silt from eligible facilities to arrest structural rot and destabilization.
Mold remediation: HEPA vacuuming, damp wiping, and ripping out water-damaged gypsum/carpet when executed promptly.
Livestock & replacement animals: Actions to preserve the lives of animals eligible for Public Assistance replacement.

EPM Conducted by Private Nonprofits (PNPs)

FACILITY RESTRICTION

Because emergency response is fundamentally a governmental police power, PNPs face distinct statutory boundaries:

Eligible Direct PNP Work:

EPM strictly limited to preventing damage to their own eligible facility and facility contents.
Patient evacuation costs for PNPs owning or operating medical or custodial care institutions.
Urgent lifesaving facilities directly operated by PNPs, such as hospital Emergency Rooms, drinking water plants, or sewage treatment works.
PNP Volunteer Fire Departments operating under an established legal agreement designating territorial emergency authority.

Government-Contracted Services:

If a PNP provides general emergency services (ambulance, animal control, 211, firefighting) at the request of an SLTT government under a written agreement:

PA funding is paid through the SLTT government as the eligible applicant.
PNP operating expenses independent of municipal requests are strictly ineligible.

Increased Operating Costs

LIMITED TIMEFRAME ONLY

Applicants may claim extra operational expenses incurred due to emergency service spikes, but under stringent boundaries:

Eligible Increased Operating Costs	Ineligible Operating Costs (Even Temporary)
Immediate water testing, biological assays, and chemical treatment supplies to counter emergency contamination. Extra fuel and electric power utility surcharges directly powering emergency pumping stations. Costs must be for a limited timeframe, emergency-specific, and meticulously tracked.	Inpatient medical care costs once a survivor is formally admitted. Routine administrative overhead and executive management. Staff retained for standby shifts who did not execute emergency tasks. Obtaining electricity or water from alternate utility suppliers. School make-up days, including bus fuel and contracted transport. Constructing new landfill cells or expansion for capacity loss.

Flood Fighting & Emergency Access

PASSABLE ACCESS ONLY

Flood Fighting Measures

Sandbagging & temporary levees: Rapid construction to arrest flood waters.
Dewatering: Pumping behind levees or executing controlled breaches.
Breach Repair: Repairing deliberate breaches executed by the applicant during dewatering is eligible as emergency work.
USACE RIP Compatibility: Flood fighting on USACE Rehabilitation & Inspection Program levees is eligible for PA (USACE cannot reimburse).
Ineligible: Dewatering agricultural or natural land behind levees.

Emergency Access Standards

Scope Limit: Restricted strictly to what is necessary for routes to remain passable for emergency vehicles. Debris pushed aside is Category B; hauled debris is Category A.
Private Roads: Pushing debris from private roads to restore access for police/fire/ambulances is eligible (no public interest proof needed; ROE required).
Emergency Repairs to Private Roads: Eligible ONLY if: 1) No alternate access exists; 2) Repair economically eliminates temporary housing; 3) ROE & hold-harmless executed.

Hazardous Materials & Emergency Medical Care

30-DAY MEDICAL WINDOW

Hazardous Materials Protocol

Eligible: Hazmat separation, stabilization, containment, contaminated water pumping, collection (drums/orphan tanks), and certified disposal.
Testing: Short-term testing to eliminate immediate threat is eligible; long-term cleanup testing is ineligible.
Statutory Zones:
- EPA: Retains jurisdiction over inland environmental zones (CERCLA/CWA).
- USCG: Retains authority over coastal zones and navigable waters.
Full compliance with RCRA is mandatory for PA reimbursement.

Emergency Medical Care Standards

30-Day Window: Extraordinary ER and temporary medical facility expenses are eligible for 30 days from declaration date. (Extensions require FEMA approval.)
Eligible Care: Triage, stabilization, temporary clinic tents, mobile units, vaccinations, first aid, and a one-time 30-day prescription refill.
Supplies: Durable Medical Equipment (DME: wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen) and Consumable Medical Supplies (CMS: dressings, diapers, Narcan).
Medicare CCR: Reasonableness evaluated against Medicare cost-to-charge ratios. Must verify absence of insurance/Medicare on a patient-by-patient basis. Inpatient care is ineligible.

Supplies, Commodities & Emergency Worker Meals

COMMUNITY MASS CARE

Commodity Distribution

Lifesaving Goods: Procurement, packaging, and distribution of water, ice, food, hygiene kits, cots, blankets, tarps, and generators.
Household Pets: Animal food, crates, bowls, and leashes for evacuated pets and service animals.
Unsheltered Delivery: Delivering essential commodities directly to unsheltered populations when commercial supply lines are devastated.
Warehousing: Leasing distribution centers and staging warehouses is eligible.

Worker Meal Reimbursement Rules

Meals for emergency personnel and EOC staff are eligible only if individuals do not receive per diem and one of three conditions is satisfied:

Required by established collective bargaining policy or written labor agreement;
Extreme conditions require abnormal, extended hours without reasonable personal dining time; or
Commercial dining and food markets are unavailable for purchase.

Strict Exclusions: Restaurant group outings, individual off-site meals, and per diem double-dipping are ineligible. Meals must be bulk catering brought to the work site.

PAPPG v5.0 CHAPTER 7 · PP. 140–152EVACUATION, CONGREGATE & NON-CONGREGATE SHELTERING

SLTT DIRECT REIMBURSEMENT

4. Evacuation and Sheltering Operations

FEMA reimburses SLTT governments for sheltering and evacuation operations. Congregate sheltering delivers shared temporary refuge, while non-congregate sheltering (NCS) provides private lodging under strict exigent circumstances.

INFOGRAPHIC 03

Congregate Sheltering: The 4 Eligible Cost Pillars

FEMA RATIO SPECIFICATIONS

1. Facility Costs

Building lease or rent.
Utilities (power, water, internet).
Minor ADA accessibility upgrades.
Generator deployments.
Facility restoration to pre-disaster state.
Secure medical storage rooms.

2. Shelter Staff

On-site medical personnel.
Personal assistance staff (ADLs).
Veterinary / animal handlers.
Social workers (psych first aid).
Food service and custodial staff.
National Guard force account labor.

3. Commodities & Caps

Cots, cribs, linens, and hygiene kits.
Pet crates, carriers, and food.
Televisions: 1 per 50 shelterees.
Computers: 1 per 25 shelterees.
Washers & Dryers: 1 washer and 1 dryer per 50 shelterees.
Infant formula & baby supplies.

4. Shelter Services

Shelter security and supervision.
Personal assistance (bathing, transfers).
Vaccinations (Tetanus, Hep; Bordetella).
Outpatient diagnostics / local hospital transit.
Contract payments to American Red Cross.
Medical waste biohazard disposal.

Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS)

PER-ROOM BASIS

Approved only under exigent conditions when congregate facilities are destroyed, insufficient, or revoked by owners.

Traditional Facilities: Hotels, motels, dorms, and retreat camps do not require pre-approval. Applicant must notify FEMA HQ and Regional Administrator (RA) through the recipient within 5 days.
Non-Traditional Facilities: RVs, travel trailers, condos, short-term rentals, and cruise ships require FEMA Headquarters approval before use.
Cost Basis: Reimbursed exclusively on a per-night, per-room rate. Individual line items for staff or supplies are disallowed.
Food & Support Cap: Feeding and support services are generally limited to the first 30 days.
Ineligible Luxuries: Room service, pay-per-view, parking fees, and unoccupied reserved rooms.
Insurance No-Duplication Rule: Homeowner Additional Living Expense (ALE) insurance does not duplicate NCS because NCS is a public health EPM.

NCS Eligibility Beyond Day 30

5-POINT ELIGIBILITY GATE

Extensions are granted in 30-day increments (RA approves up to 6 months from the declaration; FEMA HQ beyond 6 months). To remain eligible past Day 30, each household must satisfy all five tests:

Located in a county designated for both Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA).
Registered with FEMA Individual Assistance (IA).
Has not requested to withdraw its IA registration.
Documented pre-disaster status as owner or renter of primary residence.
Primary dwelling uninhabitable or inaccessible because of the incident.

Extension requests: Ask at least 7 days before the current period expires, and follow any household data reporting terms in FEMA’s extension approval.

Host-State / Host-Tribe Evacuation

When an impact-state’s sheltering needs exceed capacity, mutual aid or host agreements allow neighboring states/tribes to shelter evacuees.

100% Direct Federal Funding: FEMA funds 100% of the host-state’s eligible costs, including regular time and benefits of permanent personnel.
Non-Federal Share: The impact-state owes the non-federal cost-share to FEMA (and cannot offset it with host volunteer labor).
Unique Reimbursable Costs: Shelter capacity reserved even if unused; return transportation for evacuees, pets, and decedents; and up to 5 nights hotel lodging post-hospital discharge.
Ineligible: State park RV fee waivers, cash cards, and gas vouchers.

Evacuation Animal Classifications

Household Pets: Domesticated animals traditionally kept in homes for pleasure (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, turtles). Excludes: livestock, farm animals, racing animals, amphibians, fish, and all reptiles except turtles.

Service Animals (ADA): Dogs (and miniature horses) individually trained to do work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.

Assistance Animals (HUD): Animals providing functional assistance or emotional support that alleviates identified disability symptoms.

Microchipping, GPS tags, and electronic tracking used during evacuation are fully eligible.

CATEGORY B · PAPPG v5.0 PP. 152–166DEMOLITION, TEMPORARY RELOCATION, SNOW & REPAIRS

SPECIALIZED OPERATIONAL PROVISIONS

5. Special Emergency Protective Operations

Specific criteria govern high-cost, high-liability emergency operations including structural razing, essential community facility relocation, severe snow assistance, and coastal protective berms.

Eligible only when partial or complete collapse is imminent and poses an immediate threat to the general public (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 154–156).

Eligibility Criteria:

Determination of imminent collapse certified by authority having jurisdiction and licensed engineer/architect.
Restricting access (fencing/barricades) must be evaluated first; if fencing eliminates threat cheaper than demolition, demolition is ineligible.
Pre-incident condemned structures are ineligible.
Commercial structure demolition is generally ineligible (insurance expected; rare Regional Administrator exception only).

Eligible Associated Activities:

Capping wells and pumping/capping septic tanks.
Filling below-grade voids (basements, swimming pools).
Utility disconnects, hazmat asbestos testing, and title searches.
Ineligible: Concrete slab/foundation removal (unless HMGP buyout) and placing demolition debris on ROW.

If an applicant provides essential community services at a facility that is unsafe, inaccessible, or destroyed, temporary relocation is eligible (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 156–160).

Eligible Essential Services:

Education, election/polling, police, fire, emergency medical care, homeless shelters, prisons, and utility administration. Essential support facilities (laundry, cooking, student dorms, parking) are also eligible.

Ineligible Services:

Museums, zoos, community centers, athletic stadiums, houses of worship, libraries, senior centers, rehab centers, and vocational training facilities.

Execution Rules & Time Limits:

3-Option Cost Analysis: Must analyze lease vs. purchase vs. construct. Reimburses the least costly practical option.
Capacity Cap: Sized strictly to pre-disaster capacity.
Deadlines: 6 months; only FEMA can extend it, up to 12 months if restoration will take longer, and further only if construction starts within 12 months.
Operating Costs Barred: Utilities, routine maintenance, and increased operating costs in temporary facilities are ineligible.
Equity Disposition: Fair market value equity must be refunded to FEMA when the temporary facility is sold or decommissioned.

Assistance for snow removal is strictly limited and authorized only under major disaster snowstorm declarations (never under Emergency declarations) (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 160–161; Appendix K).

The Continuous 48-Hour Clock

Reimbursement is limited to a single continuous 48-hour window designated by each applicant to address critical emergency needs. State DOTs may designate separate 48-hour windows for different geographic districts.

24-Hour Extension (72h Total): FEMA may extend the period by 24 hours where snowfall exceeds the record by at least 50 percent.

Eligible Scope:

Salting, sanding, de-icing, and snow removal from eligible public routes.
Snow dump site operations and hauling.
Emergency protective measures (SAR, sheltering) conducted during the storm are not restricted to the 48-hour window.
Clearing snow around downed power lines is eligible outside the 48 hours.

Temporary Repairs

Must be temporary in nature to eliminate immediate peril. Permanent restoration in exigent situations is permanent work, not Category B (except power restoration). (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 161–163)

Operation Blue Roof: Direct Federal Assistance (DFA) through USACE only; provides plastic sheeting for safely habitable homes.

Slope Stabilization

Eligible to eliminate immediate threats to improved property. Confined strictly to the area of threat (not entire hillside).

Measures: drainage, rip rap, partial excavation, rock toes, soldier piles, and debris barriers.

Beach Berm 5-Year Rule

Eligible if post-incident dune profile is lower than the 5-year Total Water Level (TWL = 5-year Still Water Level + Wave Runup) (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 164–165).

Volume Cap: Maximum 6 cubic yards per linear foot of sand above the 5-year SWL, or the amount needed to restore the pre-incident profile, whichever is less. Dune grass is eligible only when a permit requires it as a uniform practice.

INTERACTIVE TOOLSCALCULATORS, SIMULATORS & ELIGIBILITY CHECKS

FOR PLANNING ONLY

6. Interactive Decision & Compliance Tools

Test real-world field scenarios against PAPPG v5.0 Chapter 7 policies, compute debris truck deductions, simulate beach berm eligibility, and plan congregate shelter equipment. Each result shows the PAPPG v5.0 pages it rests on.

FEMA Work Eligibility Scenario Engine

Select operational parameters to evaluate immediate eligibility under PAPPG v5.0 Chapter 7 rules.

Applicant Classification

Work / Threat Category

Secondary Hazard Timeframe

Hazardous Tree & Stump Interactive Visualizer

Once a qualified individual (forester, TRAQ-qualified assessor or certified arborist) finds a tree hazardous, adjust the exposed root-ball percentage to see the line between full extraction and flush-cutting.

70% ROOT-BALL EXPOSED

Root-Ball Exposure Percentage: 70%PAPPG threshold is 50% exposed root-ball (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 120–122).

Debris Haul Truck Compaction Deduction Calculator

Calculates FEMA Public Assistance volume deductions for hand-loaded vegetative debris and missing solid tailgates (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 125–126).

DISPOSAL REIMBURSEMENT

Certified Truck Capacity (Cubic Yards)

Monitor Observed Fill PercentageCurrent fill: 90%

Loading Method

Tailgate Construction

Calculated Allowable FEMA Volume

18.0 CY

Gross Observed Volume: 36.0 CY

Compaction Penalty Deduction: -18.0 CY

Formula: Hand-loaded reduction of 50% applied to observed volume.

Congregate Sheltering Supply & Ratio Estimator

Input the registered shelter census to calculate the maximum equipment FEMA funds under the PAPPG v5.0 ratios (pp. 142–145).

FEMA SHELTER STANDARDS

Sheltered Population CensusDisaster survivors housed at congregate location.

Estimated Pet Ownership Rate (for the planning estimate)

Televisions

5 Units

Ratio: 1 per 50 shelterees

Public Computers

10 Units

Ratio: 1 per 25 shelterees

Washers & Dryers

5 Pairs

Ratio: 1 washer and 1 dryer per 50 shelterees

Pet crates & bowls (planning estimate)

38 Sets

Not a FEMA ratio. Size pet supplies to actual need and document it.

Beach Berm 5-Year Storm TWL Simulator

Calculates the 5-year Total Water Level (TWL) against the post-disaster primary dune crest to determine emergency berm eligibility (PAPPG v5.0 pp. 164–165).

20% ANNUAL CHANCE

5-Year Still Water Level (Surge + Tide) (ft NAVD88)

5-Year Predicted Wave Runup (ft)

Post-Incident Primary Dune Crest Elevation (ft)

These tools illustrate PAPPG v5.0 rules for planning and training. They do not replace FEMA’s eligibility determination for your project.

DOCUMENTATIONMANDATORY SUBMITTALS & AGENCY JURISDICTION MATRIX

AUDIT READINESS

7. Compliance, Crosswalks & Documentation Matrix

Ensuring reimbursement requires matching federal statutory authority and providing required submittals based on project threshold sizing.

Federal Agency Jurisdictional Boundaries Crosswalk

AVOID DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS

FEMA will not fund work another federal agency has specific authority over, even when that agency doesn’t pay:

Federal Agency	Statutory Authority / Scope	FEMA Public Assistance Eligibility Relationship
USACE (Army Corps of Engineers)	Federally maintained navigable channels, flood control works under RIP (PL 84-99), Operation Blue Roof DFA.	PA debris removal from federally maintained channels is ineligible. Flood fighting at RIP facilities is eligible (USACE can’t reimburse it), and RIP works are eligible for PA debris removal.
NRCS (Natural Resources Cons. Service)	Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) & Flood prevention under PL 83-566 (WFPO).	Debris removal from flood works installed under NRCS PL 83-566 is ineligible for PA, even if NRCS lacks funds. Coordinate with NRCS to avoid duplicate funding.
FHWA (Federal Highway Admin)	Emergency Relief (ER) program for Federal-aid highways.	Repairs to federal-aid highways belong to FHWA, even if Emergency Relief doesn’t pay. Debris clearing on federal-aid ROWs is eligible under Cat A.
EPA vs. USCG	Oil and hazardous substance releases. EPA handles inland zones; USCG handles coastal zones.	Call them early. If EPA or the Coast Guard has authority over the release, FEMA may not fund your cleanup of it.
CDC (Disease Control)	Infectious disease response.	FEMA decides eligibility with the CDC and issues disaster-specific guidance. Mosquito abatement needs a public health official’s written validation and is limited to the increase over normal spending.

PAPPG v5.0 pp. 68–69, 117–124, 135–137, 152–153.

Small vs. Large Project Debris Documentation (PAPPG v5.0 Table 21)

AUDIT CHECKLIST

Small Projects:

Estimated or actual quantities removed, reduced, disposed and recycled, by debris type.
Proof of monitoring, if the work was contracted.
Staging and disposal site locations and types.
Permits.
Proof waterway debris wasn’t there before the incident.

Large Projects (all of the small project items, plus):

Load tickets with truck certified volumes.
Debris tower logs and disposal records.
Location, photos and the qualified individual’s threat documentation for every hazardous tree, limb and stump.
Photographs of the work.
Coordination records with other agencies, and disposal records for quarantined areas.