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Chief McMillian explains FEMA reimbursements, expedited funds and the FROC program
Summary
The chief outlined the city's use of FEMA Public Assistance reimbursements, expedited debris funds and participation in Florida's FROC scoring to accelerate reimbursements after hurricanes; he said initial costs are fronted by the city and later reimbursed.
Chief McMillian explained the city’s experience seeking disaster reimbursement after Hurricane Ian and subsequent storms. He said the city applies for FEMA Public Assistance to recoup eligible emergency‑response and debris management costs; in many cases the city fronts the funds and later receives reimbursement after documentation and requests for information are completed.
"From the city, we've actually applied for what we call public assistance or PA...and that's the process in which we get our reimbursement back for dollars that we've actually spent to manage the storm," McMillian said. He added that FEMA often provides expedited funds for debris removal and emergency work that cover staff and immediate response costs; larger reimbursements require documentation and can take longer to process.
McMillian also described the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculator (FROC) the city has adopted to improve its score and potentially speed reimbursements. He said some projects become eligible for hazard‑mitigation or alternative project funding that can improve long‑term resilience. Board members pressed for clarification on the scale of county‑level awards and the timeline for longer recovery allocations, and staff said they are continuing to document and pursue reimbursements.
