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About VDEM  

Agency Structure

Finance Division • Human Resources • Local Support Services Division • Office of Training and Exercises • Operations Division • Preparedness Division • Public Affairs Office • Recovery and Mitigation Division • Technological Hazards Division

Recovery and Mitigation Division

Following a disaster, the citizens of a community want their lives to return to normal as quickly as possible. VDEM Recovery and Mitigation staff play a major role in this process. They help the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other organizations to administer disaster assistance programs such as:

• Disaster housing
• Loan programs
• Unemployment assistance and crisis counseling
• Business recovery
• Damage reimbursement programs (public and certain private nonprofit entities)

FEMA and the state generally set up Disaster Recovery Centers in the period following a disaster. These centers offer information on the types of aid that may be available to disaster victims. Services include assistance with tax and legal matters; insurance, health and welfare issues; and loan and grant information.

VDEM staff also administer the Public Assistance program, which makes disaster damage reimbursements available to state and local jurisdictions and certain private nonprofit organizations. Government applicants in declared areas may be eligible to recover costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures such disaster-related emergency work to ensure public safety, personnel overtime expenses or costs associated with emergency generators at critical facilities. This aid is generally provided at a cost share of 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal funds.

Hazard mitigation is one program the division administers that is related to both preparedness and recovery. Local, state and federal governments are involved in mitigation programs to protect lives and property. VDEM staff administer both the post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and a Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. Local communities may use mitigation funds to remove structures from the flood-prone areas, build flood control structures and implement other projects to lessen or eliminate the impact of disasters.