FEMA getting Rocky Boy started

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is back on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, since the last visit in September.

This visit, though, is one man, Public Assistance Officer Charles Baird, staying for what he estimates should take about a week-and-a-half.

"We're picking up work on continuing issues of the disaster," Baird said. "Everyone is as focused and positive as when we left."

Baird has come up from the Denver office to help Rocky Boy get through the paperwork to get repairs started after this summer's flood that severely damaged the reservation's new health clinic and infrastructure.

Final assessments of the damages are being wrapped up and sent out this week.

According to the assessments, most of the cost will go into building a new health clinic, since the one that had opened not too long before flooding occurred is irreparable and located in an apparently flood-prone area. The future clinic will be built next to the new justice center between Box Elder and Rocky Boy. The estimate for the project is between $18 million and $20 million.

Other costs are much less. For instance, repairing some of the reservations irrigation systems should cost a little more than $1 million, according to Baird.

Baird is here to facilitate the paperwork, then will be returning to Denver, allowing Rocky Boy to manage its own recovery.

Rocky Boy has been given a "grantee" status to do this.

Grantees are the entities that FEMA first hands recovery funds to, who then manage them how they see fit.

The grantees have, for the most part, historically been the 50 state governments.

In the past few years, FEMA has started allowing some Indian reservations to become grantees and manage their own emergency.

Rocky Boy is the third reservation to be given this. They are the newest grantees in the country.

With this status comes a lot of things to learn. Baird is here to help with that.

Tony Belcourt, CEO of the Chippewa Cree Construction Corporation, who is sharing his facilities with Baird this week, appreciates it.

"Charley's one of the most professional FEMA employees I've seen in a long time," Belcourt said. "It's been nothing but a positive experience learning the FEMA procedures."

Baird holds the reservation and its leadership in similar regard.

"They have been extraordinary in fulfilling that responsibility as grantees," Baird said. "It's a big deal. They're proud. And we're proud of them."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is back on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, since the last visit in September.

This visit, though, is one man, Public Assistance Officer Charles Baird, staying for what he estimates should take about a week-and-a-half.

"We're picking up work on continuing issues of the disaster," Baird said. "Everyone is as focused and positive as when we left."

Baird has come up from the Denver office to help Rocky Boy get through the paperwork to get repairs started after this summer's flood that severely damaged the reservation's new health clinic and infrastructure.

Final assessments of the damages are being wrapped up and sent out this week.

According to the assessments, most of the cost will go into building a new health clinic, since the one that had opened not too long before flooding occurred is irreparable and located in an apparently flood-prone area. The future clinic will be built next to the new justice center between Box Elder and Rocky Boy. The estimate for the project is between $18 million and $20 million.

Other costs are much less. For instance, repairing some of the reservations irrigation systems should cost a little more than $1 million, according to Baird.

Baird is here to facilitate the paperwork, then will be returning to Denver, allowing Rocky Boy to manage its own recovery.

Rocky Boy has been given a "grantee" status to do this.

Grantees are the entities that FEMA first hands recovery funds to, who then manage them how they see fit.

The grantees have, for the most part, historically been the 50 state governments.

In the past few years, FEMA has started allowing some Indian reservations to become grantees and manage their own emergency.

Rocky Boy is the third reservation to be given this. They are the newest grantees in the country.

With this status comes a lot of things to learn. Baird is here to help with that.

Tony Belcourt, CEO of the Chippewa Cree Construction Corporation, who is sharing his facilities with Baird this week, appreciates it.

"Charley's one of the most professional FEMA employees I've seen in a long time," Belcourt said. "It's been nothing but a positive experience learning the FEMA procedures."

Baird holds the reservation and its leadership in similar regard.

"They have been extraordinary in fulfilling that responsibility as grantees," Baird said. "It's a big deal. They're proud. And we're proud of them."