February 10, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire and Police to Apply for Federal Reimbursement for Shuttle Debris Collection

The Shreveport Fire and Police Department met with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today and are taking steps to apply for reimbursement

for shuttle debris recovery in Shreveport following President Bush’s Major Disaster Declaration last week.

The declaration is for 100 percent reimbursement costs associated with debris recovery directly related to the Space Shuttle Columbia, which broke up over Texas and Louisiana just over a week ago. FEMA advised that any over time personnel used by the departments for the exact purpose of debris recovery would fall into the reimbursable category. Personnel that responded to debris incidents that are normally on duty do not qualify. However, all equipment that was dispatched to such incidents, such as a fire engine is reimbursable up to $45.00 an hour. Police cruisers qualify and can either fall under a cents-per-mile category or flat rate.

Following the FEMA briefing this morning, officials have 30 days to apply for the federal reimbursement. There is a $1,000 minimum to qualify for the program. "The majority of the personnel assigned to debris investigations and collection were on duty and the overtime was minimal and involved only fire investigators for evidence preservation and recovery. However, fire engines and police cruisers were used for each and every incident dispatched in Shreveport and that calculation will probably carry the departments over the minimum qualification," said fire department spokesman Brian Crawford. Some police resources are bing used outside of Shreveport to assist other law enforcement agencies in the collection of material. Reimbursement for that equipment and labor is being looked at by FEMA. ###