Chapter 7 › XIII.R–S Safety Inspections; Animal Carcasses

Are post-disaster building safety inspections and carcass removal eligible?

FEMA term

Safety inspections; animal carcasses

Short answer

Yes. Inspections to decide whether public or private buildings are safe to enter and occupy, including red-tagging, are eligible. Removing and disposing of animal carcasses is eligible when they threaten public health.

What FEMA requires

Inspections must be for safety, not to assess damage.
Carcass removal can be Category A as part of debris operations, otherwise Category B; FEMA may require certification of the threat from health officials, HHS or USDA.
Small animals such as rodents usually don’t pose a threat unless a health official says so.
FEMA doesn’t fund carcass work another agency covers, such as NRCS, USDA’s Farm Service Agency, or EPA and the Coast Guard for contaminated carcasses.

Documentation

Inspection logs and placards, and health official certifications and disposal records for carcasses.

Watch out · Govstar practitioner advice

Label inspections clearly as safety inspections. Ones that look like damage assessments get reclassified as management costs.

Govstar summarizes FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide in plain language and links to the official text. Govstar is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. This is general guidance, not legal advice.