The New Disaster Relief Handbook

Disaster: Aid: America: Moneybook^:^{) sm) tm}

Appendix C: Glossary

Section C.1: Abbreviations and Acronyms
C.2: Programs and Definitions - C.3: Disaster (Relief) Time Line

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C.1: Abbreviations and Acronyms

DA - Disaster Application
DFO - Disaster Field Office
DUA - Disaster Unemployment Assistance
EOC - Emergency Operations Center
ERT~A - Emergency Response Team (Advance)
ERT - Emergency Response Team
ESF - Emergency Support Function
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
FCO - Federal Coordinating Officer
FDRA - Federal Disaster Relief Act, PL.81-875
FIA - Federal Insurance Administration
FRP - Federal Response Plan
FSA - Farm Service Agency
IFGP - Individual and Family Grant Program
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
PA - Public Assistance (Program, FEMA)
PDA - Preliminary Damage Assessment
ROC - Regional Operations Center
SBA - Small Business Administration
SCO - State Coordinating Officer
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture
USFS - U.S. Forest Service
VA - Veterans Affairs, Department of

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C.2: Programs and Definitions

Crisis Counseling
A disaster program funded 75% by FEMA, administered by the state department of mental health.

Cora Brown Fund
A semi-private humanitarian fund.

Debris Removal
Where needed from public roads and other essential public areas, when requested by state/local government, may be provided by the Department of Defense through the FEMA command structure.

Disaster Declaration
Requested by the Governor, evaluated by FEMA, activated by presidential fiat.

Disaster Field Office (DFO)
In case of a presidential disaster declaration, the temporary FEMA ROC morphes into this.

Disaster Housing Assistance
FEMA's inhouse disaster aid program, provides up to $10,000 per applicant (i.e. family unit) for disaster-related housing needs, including emergency rental assistance (homeowners and renters) and temporary repairs (homeowners only).

Disaster Legal Services
Provides (limited) assistance to low-income applicants with disaster-related legal problems, through the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association.

Disaster Loan Program
Administered by the SBA, provides low-interest loans to individuals and businesses for property replacement, real estate repairs, and hazard mitigation. (See Section 1.4)

Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
State or local government disaster command post.

Emergency Response Team ~ A (ERT~A)
The FEMA "advance team," composed of FEMA and relevant ESF agency personnel.

Emergency Response Team
In case of a presidential disaster declaration, the temporary FEMA ERT~A morphes into this.

Emergency Support Function(s) (ESF)
The 12 types of assistance available to state and local government, i.e, Transportation, Communications, Public works and engineering, Information and planning, Resource support, Urban search and rescue, Hazardous materials, Food, Energy, Health and medical, Firefighting, and Mass care, each of which can activate up to 16 different federal agencies and/or programs.₄

Farm Service Agency (FSA)
An agency of the USDA, provides uninsured crop damage payments, emergency loans, and helps fund other farm or ranch disaster-related damage repairs.

Federal Disaster Relief Act (FRDA), PL.81-875
Passed by Congress in 1950 (Truman administration), authorized "the President to provide supplementary Federal assistance when a Governor requested help and the President approved the request. A critical statement in the act established (that) Federal disaster assistance would 'supplement the efforts and and available resources of the state and local governments'. . . not supplant them."₁

Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO)
There's one appointed by FEMA for each declared disaster. He (or she) runs the Disaster Field Office (DFO).

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Created by Congress in 1980 (Carter administration), combined a number of different disaster relief functions previously assigned to other agencies.

Federal Insurance Administration (FIA)
Administers the NFIP, managed in turn by FEMA.

Federal Response Plan (FRP)
"Describes how the Federal government will mobilize resources and conduct (recovery) activities. The plan relies on 27 Federal agencies and the Red Cross."₃

Hazard Mitigation (Program, FEMA)
Provides federal aid in "support of measures that will permanently eliminate or reduce . . long term (disaster) vulnerability."₅

Individual and Family Grant Program (IFGP)
A combination state/federal safety-net program. (See Section 1.3).

Individual Assistance
Federal disaster assistance programs for individuals, families, and businesses, includes FEMA's Disaster Housing Assistance, the SBA Disaster Loan Program, and the combination state and federal Individual and Family Grant Program, among others. (See Chapter One).

National Flood Insurance Act
Passed by Congress in 1968 (Johnson administration), required "adoption and enforcement of prudent, flood-resistant construction techniques for all new, substantially improved, and substantially damaged structures located with identified floodplain areas."₂

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
First initialized by the NFIA in 1968, administered by the FIA, provides relatively low-cost flood insurance for properties in identified flood hazard zones.

Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA)
Requested by state government, conducted by FEMA and ESF personnel, the first step to a federal disaster declaration.

Public Assistance (The PA program, FEMA)
Provides post-disaster assistance to schools, some non-profit organizations and religious groups, state and local government agencies and special districts; for repair of disaster-damaged infrastructure and emergency public safety measures.

Regional Operations Center (ROC)
Activated by FEMA at the time of a disaster event, the "initial coordination office for Federal activity."

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, PL.93-288
Passed by Congress in 1988 (Reagan administration) "Legislated cost-sharing requirements for public assistance programs. . .and encouraged hazard mitigation."₃

State Coordinating Officer (SCO)
The state compliment to the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO).

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Can provide special assistance after or during a disaster, instrumental in mapping out the various NFIP flood hazard zones.

U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Can provide firefighting and search and rescue functions after a disaster.

Veterans Affairs, Department of (VA)
Can provide housing, medical, and burial assistance to veterans after a disaster.

- Footnotes:

1 - A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance, p.2
2 - A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance, p.3
3 - A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance, p.4
4 - A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance, p.7
5 - A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance, p.11

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C.3: U.S. Disaster (Relief) Time Line