PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PA)

The Public Assistance Program provides support to communities and local governments when recovering from any State declared disaster. Recovery activities help a community return to a “new normal” following a disaster. This support begins with damage identification and assessment immediately following an event and continues with providing financial assistance in rebuilding public infrastructure.

The Governor may proclaim a state of emergency after a political subdivision has passed a resolution stating that an emergency exists within their jurisdiction(s) AND have been able to demonstrate that the incident is above and beyond their capability to recover from without assistance from the State. The Governor may provide Public Assistance to the affected Political Subdivision(s) of the state (counties, cities, towns, state agencies). The Governor’s Emergency Fund is allocated $4 million dollars annually to cover the costs of emergencies and disasters. The Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) Recovery Section administers this fund.

When a disaster is beyond the capability of the State and local governments, the Governor will request federal assistance from FEMA through the President of the United States. The recovery process for a single event is not complete until all work has been completed, inspected, documentation audited and final payment disbursed. Once the recovery process for a single event is complete the declared disaster is terminated.

When a State disaster occurs, a 20 step process is followed, in order to assist impacted communities.  Additional detailed information regarding the process can be found by clicking on the Disaster Recovery Guidebook link.

You can find additional information about this process by clicking on the Disaster Recovery Guidebook link. If you would prefer detailed information about the process, click on the Public Assistance Standard Operating Procedure.

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