JIC Recovery Release No. 77 - AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program Releases FAQs; FEMA Seeking Properties to Support Disaster Survivors; Hours to Change at Disaster Recovery Centers - GHS OCD

AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program Releases FAQs

The AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program is a free service that provides for the removal of trees on private residential property that pose an immediate threat to health and safety. The AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Project launched this week and will end on July 28, 2023.

What is the AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program?

The AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program is an initiative designed to help Guam residents who have severely disaster damaged trees on their property that pose an immediate threat to health and safety.

What trees are considered to pose an immediate threat to health and safety?

AmeriCorps teams will focus on cutting disaster damaged broken trees, uprooted trees and hanging branches and limbs that threaten life or property or block access to the home. Healthy trees, trees with minimal damage and those trees that were not severely damaged by Typhoon Mawar will not be considered for clearing. This is a disaster related debris program.

Will every severely damaged tree be able to be removed?

Not all severely disaster damaged trees will be able to be removed based on time and scope of work. In addition, tree removals that would threaten AmeriCorps team safety will not be eligible and will be the responsibility of the property owner.

How do I apply?

Contact your mayor’s office (in-person or by phone) to complete an application.

What happens after I apply?

The property owner will have to sign a right of entry form authorizing AmeriCorps to do the work. This can either be completed with the mayor’s office at the time of application or with the AmeriCorps team if they visit your home to assess the property for possible tree removal. If you are eligible, you will be contacted by phone to schedule a time to clear your trees.

Can renters apply?

Yes, renters can apply for this service, but the landlord/property owner will be required to complete a right of entry before work can be completed.

I applied for this service, but no one came to assess my property. Why?

Not everyone who applies will receive an assessment as the number of homes that can be completed by July 28 is limited and certain disaster survivors (veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities or others with access or functional needs) are being prioritized.

AmeriCorps is coming to assess my property, does this mean I’m eligible for the program?

Not everyone who is assessed will be eligible. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure damaged trees fall within the scope of the program. AmeriCorps teams make final eligibility decisions based upon the results of their assessment.

What happens if AmeriCorps cannot do the job?

All outstanding requests will remain in the Crisis Cleanup database until you (the applicant) close your case. It is possible that organizations other than AmeriCorps could provide help in the future. You may be contacted by other organizations offering free help at a later date.

FEMA Seeking Properties to Support Disaster Survivors

FEMA is looking for property management companies and owners who have furnished properties that are ready to be leased. These properties can include various types, such as vacation rentals, corporate apartments, second homes, single-family homes, cooperatives, condominiums, townhouses, and other types of readily fabricated dwellings. Additionally, FEMA is also interested in evaluating apartments within multi-family structures that may require moderate repairs and can be restored within four months, including adding accessibility modifications, using federal funding. There is no fee for participation.

Interested parties are required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number from the System for Award Management (SAM). It may take up to 10-15 business days before the registration becomes active in the system.

To help interested parties to register on SAM and to better understand FEMA’s Direct Lease, Multifamily Lease and Repair programs, FEMA will host an Industry Day event, 9:30-10:30 a.m., July 11, at Guam Museum in Hagåtña. Pre-registration online is required for the in-person event. All registration requests must be completed by July 10. Due to limited capacity for in-person participation or webinar attendance, each company is allowed a maximum of two participants.

Follow-up questions must be submitted no later than 2 p.m., July 13, 2023. Please send your questions to FEMA-DR-4715GU-DL@fema.dhs.gov or FEMA-DR-4715GU-MLR@fema.dhs.gov. Questions and answers from the webinar may be posted to SAM at a later date. For SAM registration, interested parties should have the following information: banking information, tax identification number (ID), full company name and ownership details.

FEMA may enter into a lease agreement with the property owner and pay rent based on the Fair Market Rent rates identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Guam. Property management companies are responsible for:

Establishing a lease agreement with the property owner or apartment manager on behalf of FEMA in accordance with FEMA terms and conditions.
Handling all eviction proceedings.
Ensuring regular documented maintenance and oversight of leased units.
Covering all utilities and providing furnishings for the apartments or single-family homes that they provide.
Providing monthly status reports of all properties leased on behalf of FEMA (informing FEMA of damage, move-outs, vacant units and evictions within 72 hours).

For Multifamily Lease and Repair properties, the following requirements must be met:

The property must be previously used as a multifamily housing complex and contain two or more rental units.
The property should be repairable within four months.

Other criteria and more detailed information can be found in the Requests For Information (RFI), which have been posted in SAM: Direct Lease RFI, Multifamily Lease and Repair RFI. Responses and comments to the RFIs are due 5 p.m., July 23. Interested parties should monitor this site for additional information or future solicitations. The Federal Service Desk can provide more support via live chat or by phone at 1-866-606-8220.

Hours to Change at Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers in Guam will have new hours of operation starting July 9. The centers will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and closed on Sundays. At a Disaster Recovery Center, you can learn more about FEMA and other federal disaster assistance programs, understand any letters you get from FEMA, get answers to your questions about the application, or get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistances. The DRC Locator will help you find the nearest center.

Visiting a Disaster Recovery Center is not your only option to apply for FEMA assistance. Guam residents whose homes were damaged by the Typhoon Mawar can apply for FEMA assistance, get updates about applications, learn about the appeals process by going online to disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA Mobile App or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. (The Helpline is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents). Help is available in many languages.

Disaster Recovery Centers are barrier-free and provide equal access to all visitors. If you use American Sign Language or assistive technology, and if you need accommodations to communicate, please notify FEMA staff at the center immediately.

Visit the following links for the latest information:

Governor’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govlouguam
GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC Recovery Release No. 77 - AmeriCorps Chainsaw Debris Program Releases FAQs; FEMA Seeking Properties to Support Disaster Survivors; Hours to Change at Disaster Recovery Centers