Buildings and Equipment: Mastering One of the Most Complex Categories of Work

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DISASTER RECOVERY TODAY

Average % Large PWs by Declaration All Work Categories

17.0 20.8 17.8 8.1 18.5 10.4 7.4

Debris Removal — 17.0 Protective Measures — 20.8 Roads & Bridges — 17.8 Water Control Facilities — 8.1 Public Buildings — 18.5 Public Utilities — 10.4 Recreational or Other — 7.4

Average % Large PWs by Declaration Permanent Work

29.8 16.7 11.9 28.5 13.1

Roads & Bridges — 28.5 Water Control Facilities — 13.1 Public Buildings — 29.8 Public Utilities — 16.7 Recreational or Other — 11.9

Current as of 12-11-2012

• ...equipment performing eligible disaster work;
• • Removal of mud, silt or other accumulated debris (provided it does not pose an immediate threat, but its removal, along with any cleaning and painting, is necessary to restore the building);
• • Stabilization — and sometimes additional treatment — of a culturally significant collection or object to return it to pre-disaster function (replacement is not generally considered an eligible cost for these items due to their one-of-a-kind nature); and
• • Certain animals, birds, fish and insects (all of which are treated as contents).

Issues regarding Category E projects that will be discussed in this article include codes and standards, hazard mitigation, FEMA’s 50 Percent Rule, equipment replacement, and insurance considerations, among others.

What to Do Pre-Loss

Questions that will arise post-disaster regarding buildings, contents and equipment are similar to those in any other category of work: Is the facility the legal responsibility of the applicant? Was it damaged by the declared event? Are the claimed damages accurate? To what extent (if any) were there any pre- existing damages? Are the associated costs valid and reasonable?

It is an applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate that claimed damages were caused by the declared event rather than by a failure of maintenance or some other avoidable issue unrelated to the disaster. Applicants are also responsible for demonstrating that quantities claimed (e.g., lost/damaged inventory) are detailed and accurate.