Section 602.17 - Application procedures(a) As soon as practical after an emergency, major disaster or catastrophic failure, affected recipients shall make a preliminary field survey, working cooperatively with the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator and other governmental agencies with jurisdiction over affected public transportation systems. The preliminary field survey should be coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if applicable, to eliminate duplication of effort. The purpose of this survey is to determine the general nature and extent of damage to eligible public transportation systems. (1) The affected recipient shall prepare a damage assessment report. The purpose of the damage assessment report is to provide a factual basis for the FTA Regional Administrator's finding that serious damage to one or more public transportation systems has been caused by a natural disaster affecting a wide area, or a catastrophic failure. As appropriate, the damage assessment report should include by political subdivision or other generally recognized administrative or geographic boundaries- (i) The specific location, type of facility or equipment, nature and extent of damage;(ii) The most feasible and practical method of repair or replacement;(iii) A preliminary estimate of cost of restoration, replacement, or reconstruction for damaged systems in each jurisdiction.(iv) Potential environmental and historic impacts;(v) Photographs showing the kinds and extent of damage and sketch maps detailing the damaged areas;(vi) Recommended resilience projects to protect equipment and facilities from future emergencies or major disasters; and(vii) An evaluation of reasonable alternatives, including change of location, addition of resilience/mitigation elements, and any other alternative the recipient considered, for any damaged transit facility that has been previously repaired or reconstructed as a result of an emergency or major disaster.(2) Unless unusual circumstances prevail, the initial damage assessment report should be prepared within 60 days following the emergency, major disaster, or catastrophic failure. Affected recipients should update damage assessment reports as appropriate.(3) For large disasters where extensive damage to public transportation systems is readily evident, the FTA Regional Administrator may approve an application for assistance prior to submission of the damage assessment report. In these cases, the applicant shall prepare and submit to the FTA Regional Administrator an abbreviated or preliminary damage assessment report, summarizing eligible repair costs by jurisdiction, after the damage inspections have been completed.(b) Before funds can be made available, a grant application for emergency relief funds must be made to, and approved by, the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator. The application shall include: (1) A copy of the damage assessment report, as appropriate;(2) A list of projects, as documented in the damage assessment report, identifying emergency operations, emergency protective measures, and emergency repairs completed as well as permanent repairs needed to repair, reconstruct or replace the seriously damaged or destroyed rolling stock, equipment, facilities, and infrastructure to a state of good repair; and(3) Supporting documentation showing other sources of funding available, including insurance policies, agreements with other Federal agencies, and any other source of funds available to address the damage resulting from the emergency or major disaster.(c) Applications for emergency operations must include the dates, hours, number of vehicles, and total fare revenues received for the emergency service. Only net project costs may be reimbursed.(d) Applicants that receive funding from another Federal agency for operating expenses and also seek funding from FTA for operating expenses must include: (1) A copy of the agreement with the other Federal agency, including the scope of the agreement, the amount funded, and the dates the other agency funded operating costs; and(2) The scope of service and dates for which the applicant is seeking FTA funding.(e) Applicants that receive funding from another Federal agency for emergency or permanent repairs or emergency protective measures and also seek funding from FTA for emergency or permanent repairs or emergency protective measures must include: (1) A copy of the agreement with the other Federal agency, including the scope of the agreement and the amount funded; and(2) A list of projects included in the other agency's application or equivalent document.(f) Applicants are responsible for preparing and submitting a grant application. The FTA regional office may provide technical assistance to the applicant in preparation of a program of projects. This work may involve joint site inspections to view damage and reach tentative agreement on the type of permanent repairs the applicant will undertake. Project information should be kept to a minimum, but should be sufficient to identify the approved disaster or catastrophe and to permit a determination of the eligibility of proposed work. If the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator determines the damage assessment report is of sufficient detail to meet these criteria, additional project information need not be submitted.(g) The appropriate FTA Regional Administrator's approval of the grant application constitutes a finding of eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 5324 .