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SBA Disaster Loans Available in Maryland Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration
October 24th, 2011ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration announces today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Maryland because of drought and excessive heat that occurred on June 1 through Aug. 30, 2011.
These loans are available in the counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Wicomico and Worcester in Maryland.
“These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Delaware. The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.
“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” Skaggs added.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With the exception of aquacultural enterprises, agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA, but nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Loan amounts can be up to $2 million, with interest rates of 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for small businesses. Terms can be up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. The agency sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or by sending an email to [email protected]. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Those affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than May 30, 2012.
National Preparedness Goal – What Corporate Citizens Need to Know
October 14th, 2011The Federal Government just released the first edition of theNational Preparedness Goal. The Goal is intended to help create “a secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.” The Goal establishes core capabilities for the execution of five mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. A major theme throughout the document is that preparedness is the shared responsibility of the whole community.
So what does that mean for corporate citizens?
The following is a list of recommendations that come from the National Preparedness Goal that I believe has direct implications for corporate citizens.
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The Goal encourages local governments to assess their risks. Many local emergency managers are proactive and have been assessing community risks for years. Unfortunately, this is not always this case. Whenever possible, corporate citizens should have relationships with their local emergency managers and encourage them to assess the broad community risks. This is currently going on in Palm Beach County, where they recently had a Business Disaster Preparedness Symposium to talk about issues throughout the county. Where this doesn’t exist, corporate citizens can take a leadership role in creating it.
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A third suggestion is that members of the community “train, exercise, and partner with emergency management officials.” Employees often want to be a part of helping a community respond to a disaster, but haven’t had formal training that would make them effective volunteers. Some companies have a taken a leadership role in training their employees to volunteer after disasters. Grainger built a partnership with the Red Cross called “Ready When the Time Comes” to train volunteers. The partnership is a finalist for BCLC’s Partnership Award this year, and you can read more about it (and vote) here.
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The Goal suggests that “strengthening the health and social services, social fabric, historic and cultural resources…enhance[s] the resiliency of the entire community.” Corporate citizens can play a major role in this. For example, the Office Depot Foundation only gives grants to nonprofits if the nonprofit has at least a simple business continuity plan. By ensuring that the nonprofits are prepared for a disaster, the Office Depot Foundation is helping protect the social services of the community.
The National Preparedness Goal establishes some important concepts for preparing for disasters. As leaders in their communities, corporate citizens can play a major role in ensuring the whole community is prepared and ready for whatever strikes. For more ideas on how businesses can play a bigger role in their communities, our disaster reports throughout the years have many great examples and ideas.
SBA’s Deadline for Physical Damage Disaster Loans in Maryland For Private Non-Profit Organizations is Nov. 15
October 14th, 2011SBA’s Deadline for Physical Damage Disaster Loans in Maryland
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds eligible Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) of the Nov. 15 deadline to submit disaster loan applications for physical damage in Maryland. These loans are available as a result of a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Irene that occurred between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5, 2011.
PNPs located in the following counties that provide non-critical services of a governmental nature are eligible to apply: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Saint Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester in Maryland. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers and colleges.
PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind. Economic Injury Disaster Loans are also available to PNPs to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses regardless of whether the entity suffered any physical property damage.
Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Disaster loan information may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or by sending an email to [email protected]. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
PNPs affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 15, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 18, 2012.
You are Invited: The Virginia Public Safety Expo
October 11th, 2011Download the Flyer: SPS-EXPO-Invite.pdf (136.09 kb)
The Virginia Public Safety Expo
An event to benefit the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund
DATE: The Virginia Public Safety Expo will be held Thursday, November 10, 2011
Rain Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
TIME/LOCATION: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the Virginia State Police Administrative Headquarters parking area
located behind the main building at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this EXPO is to showcase Virginia’s Public Safety services and resources, and to
raise funds for the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund.
TRANSPORTATION: A shuttle will be available to transport attendees every 30 minutes to the Expo and back starting
at the corner of 9th and East Broad Street (Darden Memorial Garden), Richmond, VA 23219.
Applicants’ Briefings Scheduled for Maryland Counties
October 7th, 2011REISTERSTOWN, MD — Officials from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that Public Assistance applicants’ briefings are scheduled for areas included under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for Maryland.
The briefings will help representatives from the state, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (not households and individuals) apply for federal disaster assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Irene during the period of August 24 to September 5, 2011.
After Hurricane Irene, a presidential major disaster declaration was issued for 13 counties for the Public Assistance program. As a result, federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Irene in the counties of Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester.
Below is a listing of locations, dates and times for the meetings:
October 14, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties
Charlotte Hall Veterans Home
29449 Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, Md 20622
October 19, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Harford County
Harford County Emergency Operations Center
2220 Ady Road, Forest Hill, Md 21050
October 20, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties
Goodwill Fire Company
212 Broadway, Centreville, Md 21617
October 21, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties
Wor-Wic Community College, Student Center Building, Room SC-302
32000 Campus Drive, Salisbury, Md 21804
Representatives from local governments and private non-profit organizations (in the above counties) are encouraged to participate in the applicant briefings. Additional information about this disaster is availablehttp://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=15439
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Applicants’ Briefings Scheduled for Maryland Counties
October 7th, 2011REISTERSTOWN, Maryland (October 7, 2011) — Officials from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that Public Assistance applicants’ briefings are scheduled for areas included under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for Maryland.
The briefings will help representatives from the state, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (not households and individuals) apply for federal disaster assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Lee during the period of September 6-9, 2011.
As a result of the declaration, federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Tropical Storm Lee in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Charles, and Prince George’s Counties. All counties in the State of Maryland and the independent City of Baltimore are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Below is a listing of locations, dates and times for the meetings:
October 12, 2011 – 9 a.m.
Anne Arundel County
Camp Fretterd Military Reservation, 29th Division Hall
5401 Rue Saint Lo Dr., Reisterstown, Md 21136
October 14, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Charles County
Charlotte Hall Veterans Home
29449 Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, Md 20622
October 17, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Prince George County
Howard County Public Safety Training Center
2200 Scott Wheeler Dr., Marriottsville, Md 21104
October 20, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Cecil County
Goodwill Fire Company
212 Broadway, Centreville, Md 21617
Representatives from local governments and private non-profit organizations (in the above counties) are encouraged to participate in the applicant briefings. Additional information about this disaster is availablehttp://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=15439
Hurricane Irene Emergency Declaration Applicant Briefings
October 4th, 2011REISTERSTOWN, Maryland (October 4, 2011) — Officials from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that Public Assistance applicant briefings are scheduled for areas included under President Obama’s emergency declaration issued for Maryland. The briefings will help representatives from the state, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (not households and individuals) apply for federal disaster assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Irene during the period of August 24 to September 5, 2011.
Prior to Hurricane Irene, the Governor requested a presidential emergency declaration which was approved for 22 counties (all counties in Maryland except Garrett) and the City of Baltimore. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding.
Below is a listing of locations, dates and times for the meetings:
October 7, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Allegany, Washington, and Frederick Counties
Washington County Division of Emergency Services
16232 Elliott Pkwy, Williamsport, Md 21795
October 12, 2011 – 9 a.m.
Carroll, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties, and Baltimore City
Camp Fretterd Military Reservation, 29th Division Hall
5401 Rue Saint Lo Dr, Reisterstown, Md 21136
October 17, 2011 – 10 a.m.
Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties
Howard County Public Safety Training Center
2200 Scott Wheeler Dr, Marriottsville, Md 21104
Representatives from local governments and private non-profit organizations (in the above counties) are encouraged to participate in the applicant briefings. Additional information about this disaster is availablehttp://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=15439 andhttp://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=15439
SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private Non-Profit Organizations in Maryland that suffered Hurricane Irene Losses
September 28th, 2011ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in Maryland that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans. These loans are available as a result of a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Irene that occurred between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5, 2011
PNPs located in the following counties that provide non-critical services are eligible to apply: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Saint Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester in Maryland. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers and colleges.
“PNP organizations are urged to contact John Harding, Public Assistance Officer for the state of Maryland at 410-517-5112 to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. The information will be used to submit a Request for Public Assistance which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a “critical facility.” Based upon that conclusion, FEMA may provide the PNP with a Public Assistance reimbursement grant for their eligible costs or refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance.
Eligible entities may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.
The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.
Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets the loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Applications can also be downloaded from http://www.sba.gov/. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Those affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from
SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 15, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 18, 2012.
FEMA & FCC UNVEIL NEW TIP SHEET FOR CONSUMERS ON HOW TO COMMUNICATE DURING DISASTERS
September 26th, 2011Earthquakes, Hurricanes & Other Recent Emergencies Underscore Need to Empower the Public with Practical Information on Preparing for How to Communicate Before a Disaster Strikes – And How to Better Communicate During and After a Disaster
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 21, 2011 – As part of National Preparedness Month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released new tips for consumers aimed at preparing them for major disasters when communications networks are more likely to be compromised or damaged. Nearly one month ago, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and Hurricane Irene struck the East Coast. In the minutes and hours that followed, mobile networks experienced significant network congestion, temporarily making it harder for millions of people to reach loved ones and emergency services. This tip sheet aims to help prepare Americans about how to communicate with each other, and loved ones, in the event of another disaster.
“Between the East Coast earthquake, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and wildfires in Texas and California, we have had a lot of powerful reminders lately that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere – and can often make it difficult for the public to communicate with friends, loved ones or emergency personnel,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “An important part of preparing for disasters includes getting ready for potential communications challenges, whether caused by power outages or heavy cell network congestion. These simple tips are easy for anyone to follow and could make a world of difference when it matters the most.”
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “When disaster strikes, the ability to communicate is essential. However, power outages and other issues can interfere with the way people ordinarily communicate, making it harder to reach loved ones or emergency services. The FCC is committed to ensuring the public’s safety through the reliability of our nation’s communications networks. But there are also simple steps that consumers can take to prepare for a disaster as well as practical ways to better communicate during and after an event. I encourage all Americans to become familiar these tips and share them with friends and family.”
To read a joint blog post by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, click HERE.
To read the Tip Sheet for How to Communicate During Disasters, check outwww.ready.gov/tech OR http://www.fcc.gov/
Consumers with questions about their particular mobile phone devices
should contact their wireless provide or equipment manufacturer.
TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING BEFORE, DURING & AFTER DISASTERS
September 26th, 2011TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING BEFORE, DURING & AFTER DISASTERS
When disaster strikes, you want to be able to communicate by both receiving and distributing information to others. You may need to call 9-1-1 for assistance, locate friends or family, or let loved ones know that you are okay. During disasters, communications networks could be damaged, lose power, or become congested. This fact sheet provides two important sets of tips. The first will help you prepare your home and mobile devices for a disaster. The second may help you communicate more effectively during and immediately after a disaster.
Before a Disaster: How to Prepare Your Home and Mobile Device
- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers in your cell phone and in or near your home phone.
- Keep charged batteries and car-phone chargers available for back-up power for your cell phone.
- If you have a traditional landline (non-broadband or VOIP) phone, keep at least one non-cordless phone in your home because if it will work even if you lose power..
- Prepare a family contact sheet. This should include at least one out-of-town contact that may be better able to reach family members in an emergency.
- Program “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) contacts into your cell phone so emergency personnel can contact those people for you if you are unable to use your phone. Let your ICE contacts know that they are programmed into your phone and inform them of any medical issues or other special needs you may have.
- If you are evacuated and have call-forwarding on your home phone, forward your home phone number to your cell phone number.
- If you do not have a cell phone, keep a prepaid phone card to use if needed during or after a disaster.
- Have a battery-powered radio or television available (with spare batteries).
- Subscribe to text alert services from local or state governments to receive alerts in the event of a disaster. Parents should sign up for their school district emergency alert system.
During and After a Disaster: How to Reach Friends, Loved Ones & Emergency Services
- If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1. Remember that you cannot currently text 9-1-1. If you are not experiencing an emergency, do not call 9-1-1. If your area offers 3-1-1 service or another information system, call that number for non-emergencies.
- For non-emergency communications, use text messaging, e-mail, or social media instead of making voice calls on your cell phone to avoid tying up voice networks. Data-based services like texts and emails are less likely to experience network congestion. You can also use social media to post your status to let family and friends know you are okay. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, you can use resources such as the American Red Cross’s Safe and Well program (www.redcross.org/safeandwell).
- Keep all phone calls brief. If you need to use a phone, try to convey only vital information to emergency personnel and/or family.
- If you are unsuccessful in completing a call using your cell phone, wait ten seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion.
- Conserve your cell phone battery by reducing the brightness of your screen, placing your phone in airplane mode, and closing apps you are not using that draw power, unless you need to use the phone.
- If you lose power, you can charge your cell phone in your car. Just be sure your car is in a well-ventilated place (remove it from the garage) and do not go to your car until any danger has passed. You can also listen to your car radio for important news alerts.
- Tune into broadcast television and radio for important news alerts. If applicable, be sure that you know how to activate the closed captioning or video description on your television.
- If you do not have a hands-free device in your car, stop driving or pull over to the side of the road before making a call. Do not text on a cell phone, talk, or “tweet” without a hands free device while driving.
- Immediately following a disaster, resist using your mobile device to watch streaming videos, download music or videos, or play video games, all of which can add to network congestion. Limiting use of these services can help potentially life-saving emergency calls get through to 9-1-1.
- Check http://www.ready.gov/ regularly to find other helpful tips for preparing for disasters and other emergencies.