(ATLANTA) — The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) congratulates Garden City, Ga., for developing a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved Debris Management Plan, a requirement for agencies to participate in a portion of the Public Assistance (PA) Pilot Program.  

“Thanks to the efforts of Garden City officials, the next time the community is eligible for federal disaster assistance, it may receive an additional 5 percent federal cost share for debris removal work,” says GEMA Director Charley English. “This is an example of local government taking preparedness to the next level.”

The completion and adoption of a community Debris Management Plan in advance of disasters will result in reduced recovery costs. The PA Pilot Program rewards those communities that have completed the plans with a lower local match share requirement as a way to pass along some of the cost savings to federal, state and local authorities. Participation in this program is strictly voluntary. Garden City staff attended the Debris Management Plan workshop coordinated by GEMA to learn about the program criteria before submitting its plan to FEMA for approval.

FEMA developed the PA Pilot Program in response to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act of 2007. It applies to disaster-related debris removal and repair, restoration and replacement of damaged facilities.

There are four principal advantages of the PA Pilot Program:

For more information on the PA Pilot Program and Debris Management Plans, call GEMA toll-free in Georgia at 1-800-TRY-GEMA or visit www.gema.ga.gov. To learn how to prepare for disaster, visit www.ready.ga.gov.

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Post Office Box 18055 - Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Phone (404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia 1-800-TRY-GEMA - Fax (404)635-7205
www.gema.ga.gov
www.ready.ga.gov
www.georgia911.org