Manitoba
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Emergency Measures Organization

Disaster Financial Assistance

When a widespread disaster strikes and creates an unreasonable financial burden, DFA may be made available to help local authorities restore eligible infrastructure to a functional state.

The Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) administers DFA programs in accordance with the approved DFA polices and guidelines in effect at the time of the disaster.

This information is intended to provide local authorities with the basic information necessary to understand the DFA claim process.

Eligibility

Definitions

Local Authorities include councils of: a municipality, an incorporated city, town or village, a community as defined in The Northern Affairs Act, a local government district, a conservation district or any other local authority as defined by The Emergency Measures Act.

Eligible Costs

Assistance is generally available for:

  • Pre-emptive costs at the direction of an authorized official
    • incurred for the construction and removal of temporary dikes
    • for operation of water pumps and/or other equipment and machinery to prevent or limit damage to eligible infrastructure
    • for setup and operation of a community Emergency Operation Centre (EOC)
  • Evacuation costs
    • incurred when an authorized official orders the evacuation of persons or animals (reasonable expenses for accommodations, food and other essentials are eligible.)
  • Restoration costs
    • Clean-up and debris removal from ditches and culverts
    • Infrastructure damage
      • repair of roads, streets and bridges
      • repair to public facilities

Ineligible Costs

Assistance is not available for:

  • Normal operating costs including but not limited to:
    • salaries and wages of regular employees (other than overtime)
    • regular grading of roads
    • regular maintenance of drains, ditches, culverts and drains including removal of snow or debris
    • other regular operating and maintenance expenditures
  • Purchase or acquisition of capital assets
  • Upgrades or improvements to infrastructure made during repairs
  • Costs recoverable through other government programs
  • Insurable losses
  • Losses recoverable at law
  • Any cost or expense not directly resulting from the specific disaster event

Step 1

Before, during and after the disaster, keep track of all your activities and expenses directly relating to the event. In order to verify your claim you need to provide documentation describing what happened, what actions you have taken and invoices for expenses you have incurred. Wherever possible, photographs or videos of the event and resulting damages should be taken and made available to EMO. Local authorities must establish separate files and accounting records to distinguish emergency expenditures from regular operating and maintenance expenditures.

A Community Impact Assessment is critical to determining if a DFA program will be established and should be prepared accurately and submitted as soon as possible. Community Impact Assessments(s) are reviewed to determine if eligible costs arising from the disaster event would result in an unreasonable financial burden to the community. If the criteria of widespread damage and unreasonable financial burden are met, then a DFA program may be approved. All local authorities who have requested DFA will be notified about this decision.

Within 30 days of a disaster event, local authorities must to submit a Council Resolution requesting assistance. A Council Resolution should include a detailed Community Impact Assessment if one has not already been submitted.

Community Impact Assessment(s) are reviewed to determine if eligible costs arising from the specific disaster event would result in an unreasonable financial burden to the community. If the criteria of widespread damage and unreasonable financial burden are met then a DFA Program may be approved. All local authorities who have requested DFA will be notified about this decision.

Step 2

When a DFA Program is approved:

  • EMO will assign a Recovery Advisor to:
    • answer your question regarding eligibility and procedures
    • contact you if additional information is required
    • be available to answer questions
  • The Local Authority will be requested to:
    • prepare a municipal maps indicating the location of damage sites
    • identify sites where pre-emptive action was taken
    • assign consecutive numbers for each site to allow for accurate record keeping
    • prepare site damage reports and estimate
    • facilitate site visits as required by EMO
    • obtain and submit engineers reports and quotes are requested
    • obtain any necessary licenses, permits or approvals
    • in a timely manner, report to EMO the inclusion of any new or unreported damage sites
    • in a timely manner, advise EMO of any significant changes in the scope or cost of repairs
    • prepare and submit to EMO claim submissions(s) in accordance with DFA policies and guidelines
    • provide additional information as may be required by EMO to complete the evaluation of a submission
  • Upon receipt of a claim submission, EMO will:
    • evaluate the submission(s) in accordance with DFA policies and guidelines
    • issue payment and prepare a reconciliation statement identifying eligible, ineligible and deferred items
    • advise the Local Authority about deferred items and request additional supporting documentation to determine eligibility or ineligibility; and
    • supply a full reconciliation statement with the final payment identifying eligible and ineligible items

DFA programs are open for a period of 12 months. Applicants will be advised of the program closure date and must complete repairs and submit all the required documentation to EMO by the program closure date. Requests for extension periods will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.

Local Authorities may request and Accountable Advance on their claim. When supported by appropriate accounting records, Accountable Advances will be provided for 60% of incurred costs to a maximum of $100,000.

Appeals

If you have not received all the assistance to which you feel entitled, an appeal process is available. For further information on this process please contact EMO.

Limitations

DFA payments for eligible expenses in the Public Sector are subject a deduction based on the Provincial/Municipal DFA cost sharing formula:

Expenditures Per Capita of the Municipal Population Provincial Share Municipal Share
$0 to $10%100%
$1 to $350%50%
$3 to $575%25%
Over $590%10%

Use the Public Sector Cost Sharing Calculator (Excel, 20 KB) to determine the Municipal Share of Expenses.

Additional Information

Download and Print this information :
Disaster Financial Assistance Fact Sheet - English Version (PDF, 70 KB)