Bay County Sheriff’s Office awarded $2 million for Hurricane Michael expenses

Panama City, Florida — FEMA has approved $2,023,745 for the state of Florida to reimburse the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for the cost of emergency protective measures taken after Hurricane Michael.

This grant reimburses the sheriff’s office for response and recovery efforts, such as search and rescue, traffic control and safety patrol following the October 2018 storm.

The grant is funded by FEMA’s Public Assistance program, an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) works with FEMA during all phases of the PA program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.

Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects after final approval.

Once a project is obligated by FEMA, FDEM works closely with applicants to finalize grants and begin making payments. FDEM has implemented new procedures designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.