Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Information for Local Governments
Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Information for Local Governments
April 1, 2020
The Major Presidential Disaster Declaration for Ohio approved by President Trump March 31, 2020, allows for grants from FEMA to state and local governments for costs associated with emergency protective measures, such as Emergency Operations Center, fire and police, emergency medical care, sheltering, etc. in response to COVID-19.
This declaration shifts some the financial burden from state and local governments to the federal government, with the U.S. government picking up 75 percent of certain COVID-19 costs, including:
- Emergency Operation Center costs
- State agency purchases in response to COVID
- Disinfection of eligible public facilities
- PPE
- Temporary medical facilities and enhanced hospital capacity, including:
- Use of specialized medical equipment
- Emergency medical transport
- Medical sheltering (e.g. when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near future and cannot accommodate needs)
The declaration also allows federal assistance to local governments, such as support from the Ohio National Guard and US Army Corps of Engineers.
FEMA Region V Administrator James K. Joseph has been named the federal coordinating officer.
Please note that eligible work performed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic must be performed by or at the direction of a local government. In other words, work being performed by non-profit organizations like food pantries may not be directly reimbursable by FEMA. However, hospital medical care being performed by non-profit hospitals should be eligible.
For more information, go to https://ema.ohio.gov/Recovery_covid19.aspx.
For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or visit coronavirus.ohiog.gov.
If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic, help is available. Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (1-800-846-8517 TTY); connect with a trained counselor through the Ohio Crisis Text Line by texting the keyword “4HOPE” to 741 741; or call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services help line at 1-877-275-6364 to find resources in your community.
Protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by taking these precautions.
- Stay home
- Practice Social Distancing
- Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals
- Wash hands often with water and soap (20 seconds or longer)
- Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry your hands
- Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces
- Clean and disinfect "High-Touch" surfaces often
- Call before visiting your doctor
- Practice good hygiene habits
If you have questions regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19 please call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)
CLEAN ALL "HIGH-TOUCH" SURFACES EVERY DAY
High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.