ARCHIVE - Guidelines for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements - Interpretation Bulletin 1: Mitigative Enhancements to Private Infrastructure

• Interpretation Bulletin 1 PDF (37 KB)

Issue:

• Eligible post-disaster mitigation enhancements and process for Public Safety Canada (PS) approval of mitigation enhancement projects to private infrastructure.

Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) Guidelines References:

3.3 Disaster Recovery Mitigation Measures

3.3.1 Mitigation enhancements undertaken within specific repair/rebuilding projects to reduce vulnerability to future emergencies will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

3.3.2  The province will recommend and the PS Regional Director (RD) must agree to each proposed mitigation enhancement. The RD will consult with PS headquarters and appropriate federal departments as required. Details (nature and scope of work, timings, estimates and disbursements) should be recorded for subsequent audit verification. Provincial officials should contact the Public Safety RD at the earliest opportunity to seek concurrence on a project's eligibility for mitigation cost-sharing.

3.3.3  New infrastructure initiatives and enhancements mainly designed to increase operational capacity (e.g., traffic volume, productive output), functionality, floor-space, or life-cycle duration are not eligible.

3.3.4  The value of enhancements eligible for cost-sharing is limited to 15 per cent of the estimated cost of repair to pre-disaster condition.

Principle:

• Mitigation enhancements undertaken within specific repair/rebuilding projects to reduce vulnerability to future emergencies will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Interpretation:

• For mitigative enhancements to private infrastructure, the affected province or territory may have large numbers of similar projects, such as raising electrical panels above the flood level. In such cases the province may recommend a category or categories of mitigative enhancements that are acceptable under the provincial program to the PS RD. The RD will respond with a reference to this interpretation bulletin indicating agreement. The communication must be recorded for subsequent audit verification.
  
• In order to determine the value of the mitigative enhancements that will be cost shared, appropriate assessment of the damage to the private infrastructure and estimate of the repair/rebuilding costs to return the infrastructure to pre-disaster condition must be available for federal audit.
  
• Appropriate documentation to demonstrate that mitigative enhancements projects were accomplished must be available for federal audit.
• To date, the list of mitigative enhancements to private property that are generally acceptable to PS are:
  • elevating structures
  • relocating furnaces above flood level
  • relocating hot water heaters above flood level
  • relocating electrical boxes above flood level
  • replacing furnaces with baseboard heaters
  • installing weeping tiles on either the interior or exterior of the structure
  • installing sump pumps on either the interior or exterior of the structure
  • switching of petroleum heating systems to eliminate fuel tanks
  • securing of propane tanks
  • using water-resistant building materials instead of drywall
  • changing to exterior basement insulation
  • making structural changes to buildings to increase flood-proofing
  • performing seismic retrofitting such as installing foundation bolts, cripple wall bracing and shear walls
  • disconnecting downspouts and foundation drains from sewers
  • reinforcing buildings to be more resistant to wind and ice damage
  • installing protective plumbing such as backflow prevention valves

Date modified:

2017-11-23