Escambia County has been reimbursed from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, totaling $13,715,504.13, for costs associated with the county's second-largest contractor debris removal dating back to Nov. 1, 2020.
Escambia County utilized contracted workers following Hurricane Sally's arrival on Sept. 16, 2020 until April 30, 2021 to remove and dispose of 689,477 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 201,863 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, 854 hazardous leaning trees, 8,283 hazardous hanging limbs and 1.85 tons of hazardous household waste debris from public rights of way. The debris posed a serious threat to public health and safety. Additional expenses included the monitoring and field supervisory oversight of collecting, removing and disposal of all debris.
“Millions of dollars were spent on debris clean-up from Hurricane Sally," said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. "We are grateful for FEMA approving this reimbursement grant. This grant is critical for Public Safety as we continue to recover from Hurricane Sally and prepare for future disasters.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters, and their guiding principles help them achieve it. Learn more at https://www.fema.gov/ .
Escambia County Public Safety is responsible for keeping citizens safe from emergencies and both man-made and natural disasters. Its divisions include Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Rescue and Pensacola Beach Lifeguards. For the latest information on emergency management services in Escambia County, residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on myescambia.com.
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