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HMGP Post Fire

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) presents a mitigation funding opportunity for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Post Fire. HMGP Post Fire provides mitigation project funding to affected communities and burned areas where FEMA has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declaration during the previous Federal fiscal year. This funding opportunity will be a targeted effort by Cal OES and not solicited statewide like the traditional Cal OES Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Funding for multiple events is aggregated into one grant under the first declaration of the Federal fiscal year; declarations made between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, will be administered under FM-5502. HMGP Post Fire 2024 includes FM-5502, FM-5503, FM-5515, FM-5519, FM-5522, FM-5535, FM-5536, FM-5537, and FM-5538.

Post-Fire Subapplication Process

 Eligible Subapplicants

  • State Agencies – Activities must be consistent with the State Hazard Mitigation Plan.
  • Federally Recognized Tribes – Subapplicants must have a FEMA-approved Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan (THMP) in order to be eligible.
  • Local Governments/Communities/Special Districts – Subapplicants must have a FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) in order to be eligible.
  • Private non-profit Organizations – Private non-profit Organizations are not required to have an LHMP, but the County or city in which they are located must meet the LHMP requirement. Private non-profit Organizations are not eligible for PrepareCA Match.

 

If you are thinking about applying for HMGP Post-Fire, please visit our Developing a Subapplication page to learn about the subapplication components or to request a call with the Technical Assistance team.

When you are ready to apply, please complete an NOI, due to Cal OES via the Engage Portal. Access the Engage CalOES Portal to log in and complete your Notice of Interest. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one.

Please utilize the NOI User Guide for help creating an account and for a preview of the NOI questions. Recommend that you open these links in a new tab. 

Subapplication Submission Process

Subapplicants interested in HMGP must submit a Notice of Interest (NOI) via the Cal OES Engage portal prior to submitting a subapplication. All NOIs must be submitted by the posted deadline. NOIs submitted after this date will be considered for the next available funding opportunity.

Cal OES will review NOIs for eligibility and then invite subapplicants with eligible projects to submit full grant subapplications, via the Cal OES Engage portal. Cal OES will review all subapplications and submit projects to FEMA in accordance with the State’s priorities. Cal OES will retain eligible subapplications that are not initially selected for submission to FEMA for future consideration when funding becomes available. FEMA will then review the submitted applications for programmatic and environmental and historic preservation (EHP) compliance prior to obligating funds. Follow Grant Opportunities link to view funding opportunities.

 

Technical Assistance

Our subject matter experts are available to discuss project eligibility, benefit cost analysis, technical feasibility, EHP requirements, the application process, or other related matters. To contact the Technical Assistance team, please book a meeting here. We can discuss funding availability, project eligibility, and potential mitigation actions.

Projects must be eligible, feasible, and cost effective per FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance. Projects must be stand-alone activities that will reduce risk as their primary benefit, but Cal OES strongly encourages the submission of projects that achieve multiple benefits.

Best Practices for Application Submission

  1. Schedule a project scoping call by contact the Technical Assistance team. Book a meeting here, so we can discuss funding availability, project eligibility, and potential mitigation actions.
  2. For helpful tips, FAQs, and detailed information about how to submit your NOI, please see the HMA NOI User Guide.
  3. For NOI submission, when using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge as your browser, click this link to access the Cal OES Engage portal.
  4. Please see the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance for full details on project eligibility and other requirements.
  5. All contracts and purchases must comply with Federal procurement guidelines outlined in 2 CFR 200 to be eligible for reimbursement.
    • Pre-award costs (including the development of the subapplication) are eligible for reimbursement upon award if all procurements adhered to federal policies. This includes competitively procuring any contractor support used to develop the subapplication or plan a project.
    • In accordance with 2 CFR 200, contractors who assist with subapplication development will be ineligible to compete for further contracts on the same award.

FAQ

What are the Hazard Mitigation Plan requirements for HMGP Post Fire?

Entities are required to have or be a recognized annex of a federally approved, locally adopted Hazard Mitigation Plan. If your entity does not currently participate in a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), please visit our Local Mitigation Planning page for information about the process. 

Are there match fund requirements?

This is a reimbursement program, with Federal funding available for 75% of the total costs.

When is funding made available? 

Funding for multiple wildfire events is aggregated into one grant for the Federal fiscal year; declarations made between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025 

What activities are eligible under HMGP Post Fire? 

  • Defensible space, Ignition-resistant building materials: Only eligible if the property owner has completed or agrees to complete and maintain defensible space measures around the structure
  • Ignition-resistant infrastructure: Ignition-resistant utility pole structures, Repair/replace/upgrade water systems
  • Fire suppression system (sprinklers): Only external water hydration or thermal insulation systems are eligible, Fuel reduction/vegetation management
  • Post-wildfire flooding prevention and sediment reduction measures: Reforestation, restoration and/or soil stabilization, Ground cover vegetation re-establishment (e.g., seeding and mulching), Erosion prevention measures on slopes, Flash flooding prevention measures resulting from runoff (e.g., drainage dips and debris traps)

How much funding is made available?

Funding is available through the Fire Mitigation Assistance Grant declarations and consolidated into a single grant opportunity. The HMGP Post-Fire ceiling amount for the combined FMAGs in Fiscal Year 2024 is approximately $11,800,000.

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