U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
Washington, DC 20528 


Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program 
(RCPGP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is the purpose of the FY 2009 RCPGP? 
The purpose of the FY 2009 RCPGP is to enhance catastrophic incident preparedness in predesignated, 
high-risk urban areas and their surrounding regions. RCPGP is intended to 
support coordination of regional all-hazard planning for catastrophic events, including the 
development of integrated planning communities, plans, protocols and procedures to manage 
a catastrophic event. 

2. How much funding was available under the FY 2009 RCPGP? 
The total amount of funds available under the FY 2009 RCPGP was $34,002,500. A total of 
$31,002,500 has been allocated to the sites, while $3,000,000 was retained for technical 
assistance support. The maximum award amount for each of the pre-designated Tier 1 Urban 
Areas was $3,617,000. The maximum award amount for each of the pre-designated Tier 2 
Urban Areas was $1,420,875. 

3. What were the priorities for the FY 2009 RCPGP? 
The following priorities and expected outcomes, which build upon projects in the first cycle 
(FY 2008) of RCPGP, were identified for FY 2009: 
. 
Ensure the integration of planning and synchronization of plans through the use of 

national planning systems and tools 
. 
Share best practices in support of a robust national planning community 
. 
Implement citizen and community preparedness campaigns with a focus on educating 

citizens about catastrophic events and the necessary steps for preparedness 
. 
Plan for and pre-position needed commodities and equipment 
. 
Implement the principles and processes identified in CPG-101 for the development of 

plans consistent with the Integrated Planning System 
. 
Address shortcomings in existing plans and processes 


Each of these priorities must take into account both the area at risk of an attack or 
catastrophic event and those communities likely to host evacuees or support long-term 
operations. 

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4. Who was eligible to apply for FY 2009 RCPGP funds? 
Eligible applicants under the FY 2009 RCPGP included pre-designated, high-risk Urban 
Areas within the RCPGP sites who participated in FY 2008. A detailed table of eligible 
applicants is included below. 

Tier 1 RCPGP Site Associated Urban Area 
Bay Area (to include 11 counties and 23 principal cities spanning 
central western CA) Bay Area 
Chicago Area (to include 16 counties and 15 principal cities 
spanning northeastern IL, northwestern IN and southeastern WI) Chicago Area 
Houston Area (to include 13 counties and 6 principal cities in 
eastern TX, as defined for the FY 2008 grant cycle) Houston Area 
Los Angeles / Long Beach Area (to include 5 counties and 38 
principal cities spanning southwestern CA) 
Los Angeles/ Long 
Beach Area 
National Capital Region (to include 26 counties and 16 principal 
cities spanning Washington, D.C., northern VA, central and 
southern MD, eastern WV, and representatives from DE and PA) 
National Capital Region 
Area 
New York City / Northern New Jersey Area (to include 30 counties 
and 21 principal cities that span eastern CT, northern NJ, 
southeastern NY, and northeastern PA)1 
New York City Area 
Jersey City/ 
Newark Area 
Tier 2 RCPGP Site Associated Urban Area 
Boston Area (to include 17 counties and 17 principal cities 
spanning most of eastern MA, southern NH, and all of RI) Boston Area 
Honolulu Area (to include the four counties of HI, including the 
principal city of Honolulu) Honolulu Area 
Norfolk Area (to include 15 counties and 9 principal cities, as 
defined for the FY 2008 grant cycle, spanning central eastern and 
southeastern VA as well as northeastern NC) 
Norfolk Area 
Seattle Area (to include 7 counties and 11 principal cities spanning 
central WA) Seattle Area 

5. How were FY 2009 RCPGP allocations determined? 
FY 2009 RCPGP funds were allocated non-competitively to each pre-designated high-risk 
Urban Area within the RCPGP sites that received funding under RCPGP in the FY 2008 
grant cycle. The pre-designated high-risk urban areas were required to meet the minimum 
application standards specified for FY 2009. 

1 The New York City Urban Area and Jersey City/Newark Urban Area are expected to work together as the New 
York/Northern New Jersey Area RCPGP Site to carry out the program goals and objectives. 

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6. 
What legislation authorized funding for the FY 2009 RCPGP? 
The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 
(Public Law 110-329) provided funding for this program. 

7. 
Where is the FY 2009 RCPGP Guidance and Application Kit located? 
The FY 2009 RCPGP Guidance and Application Kit is located online at 
http://www.fema.gov/grants as well as on www.grants.gov. 


8. 
What other resources are available to address programmatic, technical and financial 
questions? 
. 
For general information, please contact the Centralized Scheduling and Information 
Desk (CSID) help line at (800) 368-6498 or askcsid@dhs.gov. CSID hours of 
operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. 

. 
For program-specific information, please contact RCPGP@dhs.gov. 

. 
For financial-related questions, including pre-and post-award administration and 
technical assistance, please contact the FEMA Call Center at (866) 927-5646 or via 
e-mail to ASK-GMD@dhs.gov. 

9. 
What is the period of performance for the FY 2009 RCPGP? 
The period of performance of this grant program is 24 months. Extensions to the period of 
performance will be considered only through formal requests to FEMA with specific and 
compelling justification why an extension is required. 

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