HomeMy WebLinkAboutDisaster & Emergency ServicesDepartment of Military Affairs
DISASTER & EMERGENCY SERVICES DIVISION
1100 M Main P.O. Box 4789
Helena, MT 59604-4789
406-841-3911 406-841-3965 (Fax)
AUU 2 g 90011-1
DATE: August 21, 2000
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MEMORANDUM CF Lq?RF?
TO: County Commissioners, Mayors, Chief Executive Officers and
DES Coordinators
FROM: Jim Greene, Administrator
SUBJECT: Fires 2000 - Assistance from the Governor's Disaster Fund
Fires have affected several counties in the state this year. As a result of changes, in
the reimbursement of costs in the fire suppression effort, new policies had to be
developed for this fire season.
Attached you will find an outline of the procedures that have been developed for
Supplemental State Financial Assistance to Local Governments for the 2000 fire
season only. This supplemental assistance is predicated on the fact that your fire
suppression and related costs may or are beyond your financial capability, i.e. the 2 mil
emergency levy (10-3-405, MCA).
Should you decide to pay your volunteer fighters, for their outstanding and dedicated
work, these procedures will apply. The point being, you must incur the costs and hire
them as temp hires or by contract. The State of Montana or the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) cannot directly pay the fire fighters, you must do that.
For information contained in the "Interagency Incident Business Management
Handbook, NWCG Handbook 2", contact your local US Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs or MT Department of Natural Resources &
Conservation Office.
MT DES and DNRC staff will be available by phone and will meet with you individually,
if necessary, to assist you through the process. Points of contact for my office in
Helena is Jim Anderson @ 841-3957 and Steve Gamble with DNRC in Missoula @
542-4235.
Memorandum of Understanding
Fires Services Reimbursement
Fire Season 2000
Introduction:
The State of Montana is experiencing one of the worst fire seasons in history. Fire Behavior/ Danger indices are at
record levels never observed since records have been kept. Wildland fires are located in areas of urban interface
and are requiring extended effort from volunteer organizations ( Fire, EMS, Search & Rescue) and county law
enforcement units that are not normally involved in extended support operations. These groups are all operating
beyond what is normally anticipated under mutual aid and local cooperative agreements. These volunteer groups
have proven their value in structure protection, structure suppression and law enforcement activities. The efforts of
these volunteer groups have been recognized as important and often critical in the support to local communities and
individual homeowners.
Governor Marc Racicot has requested the local governments and volunteer fire departments provide resources to
support suppression of wildland fires in Montana. The Governor has agreed to reimburse the assisting entities for
reasonable costs incurred to perform the requested work. The purpose of this agreement is to document the state
request for local fire fighting resources and to address the applicable conditions and administrative requirements for
reimbursement.
In recognition of these efforts of extended operations, in those areas officially designated with the Governors
Emergency Declarations. This document is intended to act as an enabling agreement to provide funding for
Political Subdivisions during the designated time period established by DNRC and Montana DES. This is a one
time agreement, in effect for the 2000 fire season, and only applies to those services provided in response to
wildfire incidents.
Conditions and requirements:
1. The Municipal Fire Departments, Rural Fire Districts, Fire Service Areas and County Volunteer Fire
Departments must have requested Mutual Aid Assistance.
2. The county or city must have declared an emergency or disaster and invoked the 2-mil emergency levy (10-3-
405, MCA) and submitted a written request to the Governor for supplemental state financial assistance.
3. The costs for that Incident, which are beyond Initial Attack and mutual aid requested & the 2 mil emergency
levy would be eligible.
4. The Fire Chief of each fire service organization is responsible for ensuring their personnel have basic wildland
fire safety training, safety clothing, and equipment needed to meet county standards.
5. Local fire fighters will be paid according to rates established in Chapter 50 of the Interagency Incident
Management Handbook Northern Rockies Coordinating Group Supplement 2000-4. These rates have been
established and in use since 1989, and are approved annually by local/State/Federal fire management, and
Montana DES.
6. All fire equipment must meet city/county standards for the type of fire apparatus being provided and will be
classified in accordance with NWCG Standards.
Prepared By:
Jim Anderson, Disaster Recovery Manager
MT DES, August 21, 2000
1
7. Rates of pay for equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 50 of the Interagency Incident Management
Handbook Northern Rockies Coordinating Group Supplement 2000-4. Repairs for equipment damaged during
the course of fighting fire during the declared incident will be paid in addition to the Chapter 50 rate on a case
by case basis.
8. Political Subdivisions employing paid employees can be reimbursed for regular and overtime expenses plus
benefits for the time directly engaged in the fire suppression activities or the support of the same.
9. Any funds paid to a Political Subdivision in excess of the amount to which is finally determined to be eligible
will be promptly reimbursed to the State of Montana.
10. The Political Subdivision hereby certifies that any cost recovery they or any fire organization in their county
receives, for fire protection, from insurance will be deducted from the final eligible costs. Certification is also
made that reimbursement for these expenses has not been requested from any other federal, state or local
government.
11. Documentation of expenses must be auditable, and records retained in accordance with 44 Code of Federal
Regulations (CPR), part 13 - Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants, and Cooperative Agreements to
State and Local Governments.
12. This Memorandum of Understanding has been reviewed and approved by the NRCG, MAC.
ADMINISTRATION:
Fire suppression expenses and those expenses in the support of the same will be paid directly by the county to the
individuals through temporary hire, or by lump sum contract with payment to the Fire Service Organization/s.
Records/documentation of personnel, equipment and materials will be submitted with summaries to Montana DES
for review and approval in a Project Application.
Reimbursement will be made to the county or city by Montana DES for costs incurred no later than 30 days after
submission.
Advance of Funds for approved costs may be requested by the county or city from Montana DES, see "TAB G"
Local Government Disaster Information Manual.
Date:
AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES:
City or County of
MT Disaster & Emergency Services Representative
Title:
County/City Government Representative
Title:
Prepared By:
Jim Anderson, Disaster Recovery Manager
MT DES, August 21, 2000
2
State of Montana
Assistance from the Governor's Disaster Fund
Fires 2000
Sequence of Events & Procedures
Wildland Fire or related incident starts
Local Initial Attack resources respond
(Documentation of Labor, Equipment & Materials starts)
Fire escapes Initial Attack
Local Fire Mutual Aid Requested
Political Subdivision Declares an Emergency or Disaster
Political Subdivision makes determination on pay status of volunteer fire fighters
Political Subdivision chooses to pay the volunteer fire fighters (that have not been hired by DNRC ') as Temp
Hires or Contracts with the Fire District/Organization.
If the Political Subdivision chooses to pay the volunteer firefighters for that incident that are beyond the
Initial Attack and mutual aid has been requested, the costs would be eligible.
Pay & Equipment rates will be in accordance with the Interagency Incident Business Management
Handbook, NWCG Handbook 2 (2000 Version)
Political Subdivision summarizes all the extraordinary fire related costs that are not on a resource order to a
project fire, this could include some of the following costs:
Fire, Law Enforcement, EOC Activation, Evacuations, Materials, etc.
If the extraordinary fire related costs are beyond existing budget capabilities
the Political Subdivision must invoke the two mill Emergency Levy (10-3-405, MCA)
to pay the extraordinary costs. If that funding is not enough, the
Political Subdivision requests the Governor in writing for supplemental state financial assistance
(See sample, Tab F-8, Local Government Disaster Information Manual)
MT DES processes the request as described in "Handbook for Applicants"
(Tab G, Local Government Disaster Information Manual)
MT DES will meet & work with each Political Subdivision to assist them through the process.
' DNRC only hires Local Government fire fighters which meet the NRCG training, physical fitness & qualification
standards.
Prepared By:
Jim Anderson, Disaster Recovery Manager
MT DES, August 21, 2000
State of Montana
Assistance from the Governor's Disaster Fund
Fires 2000
COST ELIGIBILITY
Personnel
Temporary Employees -
Regular & Overtime costs plus benefits for Volunteer Fire Fighters,
Additional Law Enforcement, EOC Staff and others engaged in the fire
suppression activities or the support of the same.
Local government fire fighters - will be paid according to rates established
in Chapter 50 of the Interagency Incident Management Handbook
Northern Rockies Coordinating Group Supplement 2000-4.
Other temporary employees - will be paid at a negotiated rate with the
respective employer.
Regular Employees -
Regular & Overtime costs plus benefits of regular employees directly
engaged in the fire suppression activities or the support of the same.
Equipment
Fire equipment -
Rates of pay for fire equipment shall be in accordance with Chapter 50 of
the Interagency Incident Management Handbook Northern Rockies
Coordinating Group Supplement 2000-4. Repairs for equipment damaged
during the course of fighting fire during the declared incident will be paid in
addition to the Chapter 50 rate on a case by case basis.
Other equipment -
Other equipment and vehicles not covered above will be reimbursed in
accordance to the latest "Schedule of Equipment Rates" as published by
FEMA.
Materials and Supplies
The reasonable replacement cost of materials and supplies consumed in
the fire suppression activities or the support of the same.
Prepared By:
Jim Anderson, Disaster Recovery Manager
MT DES, August 21, 2000 -