individual assistance preliminary damage assessment

The Individual Assistance (IA) Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) for the State of Arizona is an essential element in the declaration process.  IA PDAs accurately assess and document disaster caused damages to residential property, private businesses and agriculture. Personnel safety, accurate assessment, and attention to survivor needs are top priorities during field work. All field operations are guided by an event specific PDA Action Plan.

The IA PDA process is a joint field operation between ADEM and the affected county and local jurisdiction. An orientation meeting for all participants precedes any field activity to cover scope, objectives, procedures and safety. Once teams are in the field data is collected on Residential Property Report Forms and Business Economic Injury Worksheets. Upon PDA completion an out briefing is conducted. Findings are summarized on IA PDA County Summary Forms. These summaries are the basis for determining what resources will be necessary to effectively recover from the event. The IA PDA Field Guide provides additional information on this process, what is evaluated, and how damages are classified.

If it is determined that recovery assistance from the federal government may be required, FEMA and the US Small Business Administration (SBA) participate in verification of the State of Arizona’s IA PDA efforts. The information gathered during this Joint PDA is used to determine whether federal assistance should be requested by the Governor and forms the basis for the federal disaster declaration decision. An informative video from FEMA explains more about this process.

If you would like to request PDA training for your jurisdiction or agency, please complete the ADEM Training Request Form.

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For additional information regarding the Recovery Program, please contact us for your area of interest.