What we learned on September 12, 2013 Presented by: Catrina Asher, Boulder County Financial Compliance Manager Darla Arians, Boulder County Leadership Academy Teresa Walters, Boulder County Leadership Academy Tony Cavalier, Town of Lyons Director of Finance Dan Eamon, City of Longmont Office of Emergency Management
Agenda Overview Day 1 Immediate Response Days 2-30, and beyond Get Ready for the Marathon Cost Tracking Considerations Managing Expectations Working With Other Agencies Preparing for the Next Disaster Recommended Policies and Procedures Resources
Overview In September 2013, Boulder County received 17 inches of rain in only a few days. All four mountain canyons flooded simultaneously, cutting off access to rescue vehicles and leaving whole towns isolated Over 1,100 people and 550 pets were airlifted to safety. This was the biggest airlift effort since Hurricane Katrina. Recovery and rebuilding will take many years. Costs are still being compiled, but for unincorporated Boulder County alone, recovery costs are estimated at $217 million.
Day 1 Immediate Response Priority 1 Life Safety & Rescue Operations Accounting is rarely a life or death situation. Focus on getting your rescuers what they need to get their job done. What can we (accounting folks) do on day one? Set up coding for cost tracking Communicate emergency procedures Emergency procurement procedures Coding established and any additional documentation needs Payroll tracking and timecard comments If you can t do anything else VOLUNTEER!
Days 2-30, and beyond Get Ready for the Marathon It is a marathon, so treat it that way. Pace yourself! Have someone on your side to represent you Consultant or other in house expertise, FEMA PAC Staff up! Don t underestimate your needs Know who the players are Think about both immediate and future financial reporting needs, and make sure your processes are sustainable. Establish a group of key decision makers
Cost Tracking Overview Emergency procedures vs. long term recovery FEMA Categories Basic A-G Categories Your declaration may not include all categories Alternative Procedures HMP vs. HMGP Donated Resources Other Potential Funding Sources NRCS, CDBG-DR, GOCO, CWCB, ABCDEFG. Non-Reimbursable Costs Unmet Needs
Top 5 Cost Tracking Considerations Communicate your cost tracking strategy Manage your procurement process Have a way to make large purchases quickly Track your time, and track it the right Time must be tied to a task and equipment used Document, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!
Managing Expectations It s a marathon (not kidding about this one) You will need more staff than you think Documentation, compliance, records, etc. Be realistic about what your staff can handle Watch for burnout, stress, depression FEMA and other agencies will take over your conference rooms and your calendar Be realistic with your Board/Commission/Council Don t expect to be made whole
Working with the State The State is the official recipient of funding for most programs (FEMA, CDBG-DR, etc.) They will be your primary partner after FEMA leaves The State will have a huge influence funding, procedures, timing of reimbursements, etc. This is probably new to them as well First FEMA reimbursements took 6-9 months FEMA has loan programs available for cash flow issues
Working with your neighbors Know who your neighbors are Include reimbursement and finance processes in preparedness discussions Involve finance and your attorneys to get IGAs in place Work with contractors early when work crosses jurisdictions Consider ALL agencies Fire districts, school districts, water districts, ditch companies, neighboring towns, emergency response staff from the state and local OEM offices
What we ve seen in the field Reimbursement potential is around 70% or less of total recovery costs Reimbursement takes months Comprehensive financial projections become crucial There are no text book projects or cases The experts are just as confused as we are Rules, regulations and FEMA staffing change depending on the person, day and position of the moon and Jupiter
Preparing for the Next Disaster Leadership Academy: Policies for Declared Emergencies Leadership Academy is a year long leadership program of trainings, professional coaching, mentoring and team work to enable both professional and personal growth in our emerging and current leaders in Boulder County. One of the challenges of the September 2013 flood event was creating and amending policies and procedures on the fly while we worked to assist our citizens, support our employees, and repair damage; while at the same time trying to follow federal guidelines so that the expenses would be reimbursable. Our team project is to create emergency policies for potential future disasters to increase the County s response efficiencies, and to obtain the highest reimbursements possible.
Preparing for the Next Disaster Purchasing Policies top recommendations as a result of extensive interviews and research: Contracts and Services: Have pre-negotiated contracts for emergency products, services, etc. and cooperative purchasing. P-Cards: Emergency P-Card increase on limits Spending limits: Increase spending authorization limits for managers and directors
Preparing for the Next Disaster Timekeeping & HR Policy top recommendations as a result of extensive interviews and research: Timekeeping: Have a project tracking mechanism prepared so staff can track their time by project Volunteers: Have FEMA-approved time-tracking sheets readily available and be sure all volunteers utilize them Overtime: Have overtime limits in place and have staff rotate shifts Leave: Have a leave policy in place for employees who are victims of the emergency Closures: Have a closure policy in place
Preparing for the Next Disaster Vehicle/Fleet Policy top recommendations as a result of extensive interviews and research: Use of County/City Vehicles: Have policy in place that all usage of county/city vehicles be tracked on FEMA-approved tracking form which tracks all mileage and project-related usage Use of Personal Vehicles: Have policy in place that all approved usage of personal vehicles be tracked on FEMA-approved tracking form which tracks all mileage and project-related usage
Preparing for the Next Disaster Utmost Importance for Reimbursement: Keep policies specific to Federal and State guidelines Have procedures and guidelines adopted and in place Practice using the policies during non-declared emergencies for reimbursement (so they are vetted)
Other Key Considerations Get it in writing, and keep it forever If you re a paperless entity, be ready to use paper, especially for Force Account Labor/Equipment Be patient Debrief at different phases of the disaster Take care of yourself! Keep doing what you do exercise, cook, play, get a therapist.
Resources FEMA Guidance http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-policy-and-guidance State of Colorado Office of Emergency Management http://www.coemergency.com/ Office of Management & Budget (oversight of federal grant funding) http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default/