FMAGP Declarations operate on a 24-hour real-time basis and are frequently conducted over the telephone with written follow-up documentation. The Region V FMAG declarations process is divided into two parts. Part I - Verbal Actions and Part II - Official Documentation Actions. Part I: FMAG is verbally requested by State Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR). 1. Receive the FMAG Request. a. An initial request for Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program should be made by a state or tribal entity when the state/tribe believes that a “fire or fire complex is burning uncontrolled at the time of the request, on public or private forest land or grassland, and threatens such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.” 24/7: i. State/tribal requests for FMAG will be initially reported to the Region V Watch at (312) 408-5365. The State GAR will provide their name and contact information. ii. The Regional Watch Officer will utilize the FMAG Decision Checklist blank form (See other forms/attachments) to compile initial information from the state. iii. The Regional Watch Officer will immediately notify the Region V on-call Fire Duty Liaison of the state/tribe’s intent to request for FMAG. The on-call Fire Duty Liaison is rotated between members of the Public Assistance staff. Personnel on-call throughout FY11 and their contact information are identified in Attachment A. b. The Region V Fire Duty Liaison will then directly contact the state/tribe requestor, to receive any additional information not already gathered on the decision checklist, or to clarify any points. The state/tribe requestor will provide the name and telephone number of any additional points-of-contact (POC), the name and telephone number of the State Forest Service contact, and any other pertinent information available at the time of the call. c. Calls that do not contain verifiable information (fire location, fire name, fire size, weather conditions, and assets threatened) will not be considered a valid request. 2. Document fire details on the FMAG Decision Checklist. The Fire Duty Liaison (or Watch/Duty Officer if necessary) utilizes the FMAG Decision Checklist form to identify required information, details of the fire, and clarify any questions or inconsistent facts. The state/tribe requestor is next instructed to fill out FEMA Form 90-58 and to fax/email the FF 90-58 as soon as possible (See Part II for contact information). 3. Notify the FMAG Principal Advisor. The Fire Duty Liaison telephonically notifies the Federal FMAG Principal Advisor (See Attachment B for contact information) to receive a technical assessment of the incident. a. This action informs the Principal Advisor that an FMAG declaration request is being initiated, along with other information about the fire as outlined on the Decision Checklist. b. The Watch Officer may be asked to assist the Fire Duty Liaison Officer in emailing, faxing or contacting the Principal Advisor as necessary. c. The Principal Advisor will gather information as required to fill out FEMA Form 90-32, and fax/email the completed form as soon as possible. 4. Inform the RA and coordinate the RA Briefing. The Fire Duty Liaison calls the Regional Administrator in order to coordinate a short-notice teleconference (or meeting, if during duty hours). The RA briefing should be arranged within 30 minutes of receiving the request from the state/tribe. a. Once the teleconference or meeting details are coordinated with the RA, additional calls and email should inform these key leaders of the RA Briefing: the Deputy RA, the Recovery Division Director, and the Public Assistance Branch Chief (See Attachments A and C for contact information). b. The Watch Officer may be asked to assist the Fire Duty Liaison in setting up the teleconference call if necessary, or in sending out an emergency notification message informing the attendees of the teleconference. 5. Conduct FMAG Request Briefing with the RA. a. The Fire Duty Liaison, along with the assistance of the Watch Officer as necessary, is responsible for arranging the FMAG Request Briefing. The briefing can be conducted telephonically, or held in the RRCC Conference Room. The briefing is an overview of the information collected on the checklist. b. It is desirable to have the following items available at the briefing; i. The state/tribe FMAG request on FF 90-58 ii. Principal Advisor’s Report on FF 90-32 iii. FMAG Decision Checklist If either of the first 2 forms has not been received, the Fire Duty Liaison should know when to expect their submission. c. The Fire Duty Liaison will brief the Regional Administrator (RA), Deputy RA, Recovery Division Director (RECDD), and the Public Assistance Branch Chief (PABC). The Watch Officer should be included if they have played a role in the request process. d. The RRCC Teleconference phone number is 1-800-320-4330, PIN 462867. 6. RA Determination (Approval, Denial, Continued Monitoring) a. The RA will determine whether the fire activity, as it existed at the time of the state’s request, represented a threat of major disaster by considering: i. threat to lives and improved property, including threats to critical facilities/infrastructure, and critical watershed areas ii. availability of state and local firefighting resources iii. fire danger conditions, as indicated by nationally accepted indices such as the National Fire Danger Ratings Systems iv. potential major economic impacts b. The RA may wish to consult with the Principal Advisor and/or FEMA Headquarters (HQ) personnel before making this determination. c. The Fire Duty Liaison will record the date and time of the RA’s determination on the Checklist as “(month, day, year), at (hour, min)” All times are reported in Eastern Time zone for consistency of records between Regions. d. The RA may choose to further monitor the situation, or request additional information, before making a decision. In this event, a follow-on meeting or teleconference is coordinated in order to reconvene for the determination. 7. Inform FEMA V External Affairs and state/tribe of RA Determination. Once the RA makes the determination, the Fire Duty Liaison immediately notifies the FEMA V External Affairs official and state/tribe of the RA determination. a. If approved, inform them that, “The State’s request has been approved and the FMAG declaration number will be provided as soon as possible.” b. If denied, inform the State that, “The event does not meet the threat for a major disaster.” The State has the right to appeal this decision. “Once the State’s official request (FF 90-58) has been received, a denial letter will be sent in response to the request. This response will provide appeal rights.” 8. Inform FEMA Headquarters of RA Determination. a. After the State has been notified, the Fire Duty Liaison will provide a summary of the declaration/denial via email to the Regional Administrator, all applicable Regional leadership, and cc the Declarations Unit. i. The Fire Duty Liaison will notify the FEMA Operations Center (FOC) of the RA determination. The FOC telephone number is 800- 634-7084. ii. Sample emails are included in the Other Forms/Attachments section of this document. b. The Fire Duty Liaison will enter the FMAG request in NEMIS. i. Denials are not entered in the NEMIS declarations module. c. As soon as possible, the Declarations Unit will respond to the Fire Duty Liaison verifying receipt of the determination and providing the appropriate FMAG number. (At latest, this will occur the following business day) i. Approval – respond to the Fire Duty Liaison via email providing the FMAG declaration number assigned to that specific declaration. (each declaration will receive an individual FMAG number). Numbers will be assigned based on FMAG approval time (All times are reported in Eastern Time zone). ii. Denial – respond to the Fire Duty Liaison verifying receipt of the denial. d. The Declarations Unit provides a Summary of the FMAG declarations or denials via email to appropriate HQ staff. (HQ action only) iii. Summary of each determination iv. FMAG Activity Chart for appropriate fiscal year Part II: FMAG Official Documentation / Responsibilities 1. Requesting state/tribe completes FEMA Form (FF) 90-58. a. Following the initial call to the region, the state/tribe will fully complete all parts of the FF 90-58, the official FMAG request form. b. It should contain the basic facts about the fire, information describing the threat, other pertinent facts and a legible map showing the location of the fire, fire direction, and specific area threatened. c. The FF 90-58 must be signed by the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR) or his/her designee. d. FF 90-58 should be emailed to the Region V Watch at FEMA-R5- Watch@fema.gov or sent via fax: (312) 408-5451. The state may be asked to fax or email the request to additional addressees, or directly to the Fire Duty Liaison and Principal Advisor if necessary (See Attachments A and B for contact information). e. The state/tribe should continue to provide supplemental information to FEMA RV and the Principal Advisor as requested. f. A final determination on the request will not be made until the state/tribe has finalized and submitted the FF 90-58. (An exception may be made by FEMA RV for fires of such magnitude that preclude the state from finalizing the request for several days.) 2. Principal Advisor completes FEMA Form (FF) 90-32 a. The Principal Advisor, in conjunction with the appropriate State Forest Service, State Fire Chief or Incident Commander, will begin to validate the information presented and gather additional information to report to FEMA for review and analysis. Information gathering may be achieved via phone, fax, computer, or on-scene assessment report. The Principal Advisor may consult with State agencies, usually emergency management or forestry, as well as the Incident Commander, in order to provide FEMA with an accurate assessment. b. The Principal Advisor prepares FF 90-32 (Principal Advisor’s Report). i. This report will be forwarded to the FEMA RV Watch as soon as possible, by email at FEMA-R5-Watch@fema.gov or sent via fax: (312) 408-5451. The Principal Advisor may be asked to fax or email the form directly to the Fire Duty Liaison as requested. ii. The report is a technical assessment of the fire or fire complex. iii. The Principal Advisor will provide an assessment, based on fire behavior patterns, of the likelihood of the fire reaching the threatened area identified in the state’s/tribe’s request. c. The Principal Advisor will main contact with the Region V Fire Duty Liaison and brief him/her on any new information that develops throughout the request timeline. d. It is not the Principal Advisor’s responsibility to make a recommendation to FEMA RV regarding approval or denial of the request. 3. Fire Duty Liaison Actions. a. The Fire Duty Liaison maintains a timeline of all actions throughout the processing of the request. b. Upon receipt of the official request on FF 90-58 by fax or email, the Fire Duty Liaison should forward a copy of the request to the Principal Advisor. The Fire Duty Liaison may ask the Regional Watch Officer to assist in forwarding the copy to the Principal Advisor. c. The Fire Duty Liaison continues to fill out the Decision Checklist form based on any additional information from the state/tribe FF 90-58, verbal updates and from the Principal Advisor’s Report (FF 90-32) when received. d. The Fire Duty Liaison will utilize electronic forms and electronic lines of communication (including scanned versions of hardcopy submissions) whenever possible. e. Ensure the state/tribal Government requesting the Fire Management declaration has a current FEMA-State (or Tribal) Agreement in place. If the state/tribe does not, the Liaison will assist the state/tribal government in the preparation of this required document. 4. Fire Duty Liaison completes official documentation. a. When a FMAG declaration number has been assigned, the Fire Duty Liaison will compose the required RA’s FMAG declaration memo and letter (utilize templates): i. Memo to Assistant Administrator, Recovery Directorate - Fax and mail to HQ, via Declarations Unit. 1. The Declarations Unit receives Memo to Assistant Administrator (HQ action only). 2. Declares FMAG in NEMIS declarations module (denial not entered in NEMIS). 3. Provides letter to White House informing of FMAG declaration. (letter not required for denials). ii. Letter to State (GAR) - Fax and mail to appropriate State office (only after receipt of FF 90-58) b. The Fire Duty Liaison will forward all applicable information to the Declarations Unit for the official files. Including: i. State’s Request (FF 90-58) and other accompanying information (maps, situation reports, etc). ii. Principal Advisor’s Report (FF 90-32) iii. Copy of the Regional FMAG Decision Checklist iv. RA FMAG Declaration Letter to State c. The Declarations Unit will maintain the official FMAG file. 5. Grants Management a. Once the declaration process is complete the Grants Management process begins. b. Pursuant to the FMAG regulations, the state/tribe is to notify FEMA in writing if it intends to claim pre-positioning costs for any declared fire. This written notification should include a listing of pre-positioned resources used, where they were pre-positioned, how long they were pre-positioned, and an approximation of the amount to be claimed. c. Once the FEMA-State/Tribal Agreement is in place, the Fire Duty Liaison will assist the state/tribe in the preparation of an Exhibit E for each declared fire, thus amending the FEMA-State/Tribal Agreement. As with Emergency and Major Declarations, each amendment should be numbered sequentially. d. Incident Period i. The state/tribe must notify the Fire Duty Liaison when a declared fire is controlled. ii. The Fire Duty Liaison monitors fires until the control dates of all approved fires are received from the state. iii. Generally, the period of time from the date of the fire’s start to the date of the fire’s control constitutes the Incident Period. 6. Records Management a. The State’s/tribe’s request, the Principal Advisor’s Report, the Decision Checklist and any other supporting documents for each requested, approved or denied, fires are assembled into one file per FMAG request and stored in a central location available to all Public Assistance staff. b. The Fire Duty Liaison ensures a copy of each document is electronically sent to the Declarations Unit. The Declarations Unit will ensure the incident is entered into the NEMIS database. Appropriate entries may then be made in the Infrastructure and PDA modules. 7. Appeals or requests for additional counties. Refer to Section F of these procedures for additional guidance. Attachment A REGION V ON-CALL FIRE DUTY LIAISON ROSTER AND OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION FEMA RV: 312-408-5500 RV Watch: (312) 408-5365 or email FEMA-R5-Watch@fema.gov RV Watch Fax: (312) 408-5451 RV Recovery Division Fax: 312-408-5599 RRCC Teleconference: 1-800-320-4330, PIN 462867 Denver MOC: (940) 898-5280 or 1-800-311-7021 1. Dan Brown, PA Branch Chief Office: 312.408.5372 Cell: 312.560.8371 Daniel.Brown2@dhs.gov 2. Stacie Grathen, Senior PA EMPS Office: 312.408.5573 Cell: 312.859.1642 Stacie.Grathen@dhs.gov 3. Fred Kaehler, Senior PA EMPS Office: 312.408.5589 Cell: 312.718.6459 Cell 2: 708.790.0500 Fredric.kaehler@dhs.gov (Note – Home telephone numbers are available from the Watch personnel if required) FY11 Nov 2010 Fred Kaehler Jan 2011 Dan Brown Dec Stacie Grathen Feb Fred Kaehler Mar Stacie Grathen Apr Dan Brown May Fred Kaehler Jun Stacie Grathen Jul Dan Brown Aug Fred Kaehler Sep Stacie Grathen image map, a map of the US that displays all the regions for the USDA Forest Service. Text links are below this map. Attachment B FMAGP PRINCIPAL ADVISOR POINTS OF CONTACT Principle Advisor for: Illinois/Indiana/Michigan/Minnesota/Ohio/Wisconsin Primary: Alternate: James Thomas, Forest Service Region 9 Robert “Bob” Mayer Work: (414) 297-3682 Work: (414) 297-1412 Cell: (414) 305-1102 Cell: (414) 510-7340 jthomas@fs.fed.us rmayer@fs.fed.us USDA Forest Service Eastern Region - R9 626 East Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53202 Phone: (414) 297-3600 Fax: (414) 297-3808 Eastern Region (Region 9) covers: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ Attachment C LINE OF SUCCESSION Region V Numbers: 312-408 + ext. Andrew Velasquez x5500 Andrew.Velasquez@fema.gov Regional Administrator Jan Odeshoo x5503 Janet.Odeshoo@fema.gov Deputy Regional Administrator Mike Moline x5368 Michael.Moline@fema.gov Director Mission Support Norb Schwartz x5552 Norbert.Schwartz@fema.gov Director Mitigation Jim Duncan x5592 James.Duncan@fema.gov Director National Preparedness Christine Stack x5570 Christine.Stack@fema.gov Director Recovery Paul Preusse x5367 Paul.Preusse@fema.gov Director Response Tom Mefferd x5378 Thomas.Mefferd@fema.gov Emergency Analyst Attachment D FEMA NATIONAL OFFICE NUMBERS To contact HQ Fire Action Officer (Declarations Unit) on duty call the FEMA Operations Center (FOC) at 800-634-7084 HQ-PA-FMAG Coordinator 202-646-4535 HQ-PA-FMAG Assistant Coord 202-646-2948 FAX 202-646-3147 Attachment E FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM (FMAGP) State Offices – Public Assistance POCs Curtis Caldwell Illinois Emergency Management Agency 1035 Outer Park Drive Springfield, IL 62704-4402 Bus: 217-785-9926 Fax: 217-782-8753 Cell: 217-836-8745 E-mail: curtis.caldwell@Illinois.gov Rosemary Petersen Indiana Department of Homeland Security Indiana Government Center South 302 W. Washington Street, Room W-046 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Bus: 317-233-6507 Fax: 317-232-4987 Cell: 317-508-1523 E-mail: rpetersen@dhs.in.gov Sandy Glazier Emergency Mgt & Homeland Security Div Michigan State Police 4000 Collins Road Lansing, MI 48910 Bus: 517-333-5047 Fax: 517-333-4987 Cell: 517-202-9856 E-mail: glaziers@michigan.gov Bill Hirte Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division of MN Dept of Public Safety 444 Cedar Street, Suite 223 St. Paul, MN 55101-6223 Bus: 651-201-7431 Fax: 651-296-0459 Cell: 651-245-1457 E-mail: Bill.Hirte@state.mn.us Laura Adcock Ohio Emergency Management Agency 2855 W. Dublin-Granville Road Columbus, Ohio 43235-2789 Bus: 614-799-3667 Fax: 614-791-0018 Cell: 614-439-8328 E-mail: Laura.Adcock@dps.state.oh.us Robby Stoikes Wisconsin Emergency Management 2400 Wright Street P.O. Box 7865 Madison, WI 53707-7865 Bus: 608-242-3226 Fax: 608-242-3248 Cell: E-mail: Robert.Stoikes@Wisconsin.gov Attachment F Other Forms / Attachments Declaration Request Procedures Decision Checklist – Fire Management Declaration Request Web address: FEMA Form 90-58 – Request for Fire Management Assistance Declaration http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2691 Web address: FEMA Form 90-32 – Principal Advisor’s Report http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2688 FMAG Verbal Declaration Process Flowchart Sample Region V Fire Duty Liaison email for approval / denial Draft approval memo to HQ from region Draft denial memo to HQ from region Appeals and requests for additional counties DECISION CHECKLIST – REGION V FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE DECLARATION REQUEST INCIDENT FIRE: Name of Fire/Complex_________________________________________________________ County/State/Tribe____________________________________________________________ Date Fire Started______ Total Acres Burned _______Cause__________________________ EVALUATION FACTORS: Community Threatened/Population_______________________________________________ Number Persons Evacuated ____ Mandatory____ Voluntary ___ # of Shelters __________ Number of Residences/Businesses threatened____ Primary homes ____ % Secondary homes ____% Threat to Facilities_____________________________________________________________ (i.e., buildings, roads & bridges, infrastructure, utilities, etc.) Threat to Resources____________________________________________________________ (i.e., watershed, irrigation, flood control, fishing streams & spawning sites, wildlife, environmental resources, cultural resources, economic injury, etc.) Fire Proximity to Structures/Facilities_____________________________________________ Natural/Man-Made Barriers (i.e., rivers, roads, etc.) ____________________________________ Number of Uncontrolled Large Fires in State (all jurisdictions) ______________________________________ Fire Containment ______% Other Critical Considerations___________________________ PROGNOSIS: Weather Effects – winds w/direction_______ temperature__________ humidity__________ Fire Behavior______________________________________ Indices ____________________ Fire Forecast Next 24 hr Burn Period _____________________________________________ State & Local Burn Bans Yes / No Where ______________________________________ Resources Committed __________________________________________________________ JURISDICTION: _____% On Federal Land _____% On State & Private Land _____% On Tribal Land FEMA Determination Regional Fire Duty Officer/POC ________________________________________________ Date/Time of State’s Request___________ Requester (GAR) _________________________ Principal Advisor Name/Title________________________Analysis____________________________________ Regional Administrator’s Determination (circle one) APPROVAL DENIAL Date/Time____________________________________________________________________ Name of RA or authorizer if Acting RA ___________________________________________ POC Signature _____________________ FOC Notified – via email (Date/Time) __________ IMPORTANT NUMBER: FOC 1-800-634-7084 / (540) 665-6100 / (703) 771-6100 SAMPLE E-mails from the Region V Fire Duty Liaison to the FOC SAMPLE APPROVAL ///// Fire (State) On (month, day, year), the State of ///// submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the ///// Fire burning in ///// County. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening ### homes in and around (city), (State), population ###. The fire is also threatening /// buildings, infrastructure, utilities, equipment and a watershed//// in the area. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Red Flag warnings for the area. Voluntary/Mandatory evacuations are taking place for approximately ### people. The fire started on (month, day, year), and has burned in excess of ### acres of State and private land. There are ## other large fires burning uncontrolled within the State. The Principal Advisor confirmed the threat. The fire is ## percent contained. Current weather conditions are temperature ## degrees, winds at #-## mph, and relative humidity is at ## percent. Similar weather is expected to continue tomorrow. The Regional Administrator, FEMA Region ## has determined that the ///// Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The State’s request was approved on (month, day, year), at (hour, min) PM EST. The FMAG number will be provided by the Declarations Unit. SAMPLE DENIAL //// Fire (State)Denied On (month, day, year), we received a request for a fire management assistance declaration from the State of ///// for the //// Fire burning in ///// County. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately ### homes in and around (city), (State), population ###. The fire was also threatening ////////. The fire started on (month, day, year), and has burned ### acres of State and private land. The fire is currently ## percent contained. ////evacuation information////. There are ## other large fires burning uncontrolled within the State. The Principal Advisor confirmed the facts of the request. The Regional Administrator, FEMA Region ## has determined that the ///// Fire did not threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The State’s request was denied on (month, day, year), at (hour, min) PM EST. Attachment F, Continued Excerpts from FEMA HQ Guidance on the FMAG Declaration Process Standard FMAG Appeals Process – via hard copy If a State’s declaration request for fire management assistance declaration has been denied, the Governor or GAR has the right to appeal the denial. 44 CFR 204.26(a) • The appeal must be submitted within 30 days of receipt of the denial letter and include in writing all appropriate additional information and supplemental information. • This one-time appeal is submitted in writing to the Assistant Administrator, Recovery Directorate, through the FEMA Regional Administrator. The appeal should contain any additional information that strengthens the State’s original request for assistance and all appropriate documentation from the original request. • The Governor or GAR may request a 30-day extension to assemble the appeal documentation. This request must be submitted in writing to the FEMA Regional Administrator. The decision to approve this extension will be made based on the reasons stated in the extension request. Again, the State will be notified in writing once a decision has been made. 44 CFR 204.26(b) • FEMA has 90 days from receipt of the appeal to notify the Governor or GAR of a determination. The final determination from the Assistant Administrator, Recovery Directorate will be conveyed to the State in writing. Request for Additional Counties Under FMAGP Declarations If a declared fire or fire complex burns into adjacent counties, then the additional counties may be eligible for assistance under the declared fire. • In order for the additional county to qualify, the State must provide sufficient justification. • The State submits an updated request to include the new county. This includes the same types of threat information provided to FEMA for in the original declaration request. All information is evaluated on the threat of the fire, potential economic impact, weather conditions, and committed and available resources. • Procedures - State submits the request to the Region. o Request for Fire Management Assistance Declaration, FEMA Form 90-58 . The form identifies the additional county to be included. . Accompanying the form, the State should provide any and all supplemental justification. o The Regional POC will review the request and provide an email recommendation to the Regional Administrator. o Criteria to consider . How is this additional county included in the “threat of a major disaster” . Overall threat of the fire (same as initial request) • Upon receipt of a determination, the Regional POC will contact the State with approval or denial of additional county. Generally the response to the State will be in writing. o If additional county is granted . Contact the Dec Unit (HQ) to inform them of the approval and the new county. . Enter the requested county in NEMIS and then Dec Unit will designate the county for (PA-B) & (PA-H) o If additional county is denied . Region will draft a denial memo (same procedures as FMAG denial) • Denial Memo is addressed to the Assistant Administrator from the Regional Administrator. . All originals of the request, supplemental information, and determinations are mailed to the Dec Unit for the official files.