On March 8, 2000, Governor Jeb Bush signed Executive Order 2000-64 which recognized the 2000 Wildfires threat and initiated appropriate actions for State response without declaring a State of Emergency. After issuing several other Executive Orders related to the State’s emergency response to the 2000 Wildfires, the Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency in Executive Order 2000-160 on May 17, 2000. Upon this proclamation, the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement supercedes all other existing mutual aid agreements throughout the State between State Agencies and/or political subdivisions of the State. Of the 14 Fire Districts of the State Division of Forestry, the following have Fire Suppression Declarations for which federal assistance is available to the State through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
DOF Fire Dist. Counties FSA
Approved Closed Myakka Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, Charlotte, Desoto 2298 5/16/00 6/30/00 Withlacoochee Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Pasco 2299 5/19/00 6/30/00 Lakeland Polk, Hillsborough, Pinellas 2300 5/20/00 6/30/00 Orlando Brevard, Orange, Seminole, Osceola 2301 5/28/00 6/30/00 Bunnell Flagler, Volusia, St Johns 2302 5/28/00 7/7/00 Wacassassa Alachua, Putnam, Marion, Levy, Gilchrist 2303 5/29/00 6/30/00 Jacksonville Duval, Clay, Nassau 2305 6/2/00 7/7/00 Suwannee Bradford, Baker, Suwannee, Union, Hamilton, Columbia 2306 6/5/00 6/30/00 Perry Taylor, Dixie, Lafayette, Madison 2307 6/9/00 6/30/00 Other:
Merritt Fire (Collier County) Declared 4/11/00 FS-2294 CLOSED: 4/24/00
State Reimbursements to Mutual Aid Responders: The State is the only eligible Applicant in the FEMA Fire Suppression Program. Local Governments, and other political subdivisions of the State, are not eligible Applicants for the FEMA Fire Suppression Assistance. However, Fire Suppression assistance provided to the State by such political subdivisions is reimbursable by the State under the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement; and such costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement to the State. Claims by Mutual Aid Responders to the State should be submitted as per the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement (SMAA) Claim Guidance. However, such claims should be submitted consistent with the following additional requirements:
- A State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Mission Number is required for each submitted Claim. When a Mutual Aid Responder leaves their jurisdiction to assist in the Fire Suppression effort, a State EOC Mission Number will be provided, or should be obtained, for each requested Mission. If local jurisdictions are responding to Wildfires within their own jurisdiction or County, an EOC Mission Number should be obtained and all such fire suppression activities will be eligible for reimbursement under that Mission Number during the eligible Incident Period for the applicable Fire Declaration. State EOC Mission Numbers can be obtained from the State Fire Marshall, Randy Napoli, at (352) 732-1330 or by contacting the State Warning Point at 1-800-320-0519 or 850-488-9911.
- A separate claim is required for each EOC Mission Number. Costs within the eligible Incident Period for the Fire Declaration should be shown separately from costs before or after the Incident Period. Mobilization, Demobilization, and Mop-up Costs outside the eligible Incident should also be separately identified.
- Firefighting costs within local jurisdiction outside the eligible Incident Period will not be eligible for State reimbursement except for eligible post-Incident Period mop-up.
- Reimbursements to Mutual Aid Responder costs to DOF requests for assistance, prior to May 17, 2000, may be governed by existing local Mutual Aid Agreements between DOF and local jurisdictions within a particular DOF Fire District. These agreements usually provide that there will be no compensation required. However, Mutual Aid Responders to requests from other DOF Fire Districts will be reimbursable by the State.
Claim Review and Approval Process: Each submitted FS Claim will be reviewed by DCA FS Recovery and presented to the 2000 Fire Suppression Committee (DCA, DOI, DOF, USFS) for final recommendation of approval. Those Mutual Aid Responder Claims that are eligible for FEMA FS assistance will be paid by the State Department of Insurance for later FEMA reimbursement. Those Mutual Aid Responder Claims that are not eligible for FEMA FS assistance, but are eligible for State payment, will be paid by the State Division of Forestry.
Recovery Guidance:
Claim Forms: The following forms are available for download in WordPerfect (WPD), MS Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format:
Mutual Aid Responder Claim Narrative WPD DOC Total Expense Summary (Work Completed To-Date) WPD DOC Force Account Labor Expense Summary WPD DOC Force Account Equipment Expense Summary WPD DOC Materials Expense Summary WPD DOC Contract Work Expense Summary WPD DOC Rented Equipment Expense Summary WPD DOC Travel Expense Summary WPD DOC Labor Related Forms:
Applicant's Fringe Benefits Calculation Worksheet WPD DOC Firefighter Overtime Pay Policy Certification for 24-hour/day Pay WPD DOC Equipment Rates:
FEMA Equipment Rate Schedule Applicant-owned Aircraft Rate Determination Worksheet WPD DOC Fire Suppression Claim Submission: All Fire Suppression Claims for reimbursement by the State are to be submitted to:
Joseph F. Myers, GAR
Attn: Fire Suppression Recovery
2555 Shumard Oak Blvd
Tallahassee, FL 32399Hot Line Assistance Phone: (850) 414-7566