ORLANDO, Fla. - FEMA has approved a grant of $1,765,125 for the City of Rockledge to provide emergency backup power and protection from 160 mph winds during future storms for two fire stations.
Funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) was approved in response to a proposal by the city after Hurricane Dorian in 2019. The grant will help pay for the purchase and installation of two emergency generators, one at Fire Station 35 at 1800 Rockledge Blvd. and the other at Fire Station 37 at 3500 Murrell Road. The bay doors, windows and all other openings will be upgraded with impact resistant products and the roofs will be strengthened to meet current code requirements.
The HMGP is an important source of federal disaster assistance. Program funding may become available after the president declares a major disaster, with a goal of strengthening communities by improving buildings and critical infrastructure. A 2018 report by the National Institute of Building Sciences found that one dollar spent on hazard mitigation saves more than six dollars of recovery and rebuilding costs.
Generally, the HMGP may provide a state, tribe or territory with additional grants up to 15 percent of the total disaster grants awarded by FEMA for a federally declared disaster. States such as Florida that meet advanced mitigation planning criteria may qualify for a higher percentage.
Florida has a FEMA-approved Enhanced Mitigation Plan, making the state eligible for HMGP funding not to exceed 20 percent of the estimated total amount of grant money spent by FEMA in the Hurricane Dorian disaster. From this amount, the HMGP reimburses the state up to 75 percent of eligible costs for hazard mitigation projects. The remaining amount comes from other sources such as state and local assets and a combination of cash and in-kind sources.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
