Canadian County SoonerSafe Safe Room Rebate Program

How it works

Canadian County’s emergency management page links residents to the Oklahoma SoonerSafe Safe Room Rebate Program. The program uses Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds from presidentially declared disasters to help homeowners install new safe rooms.

The program is a rebate, not an upfront grant. Applicants register online, and a random selection process is used to choose who receives rebates. Registration does not guarantee selection.

What the money covers

The rebate applies to new safe rooms that meet or exceed FEMA Publication 320 specifications. The document states that retrofitting an existing storm shelter to meet FEMA specifications does not qualify.

A safe room can be installed in a new or existing home, either in an interior room on the first floor, underground on the first floor, or as a detached above-ground or underground safe room within 100 feet of the home.

Amounts and matching

• Maximum rebate: $2,000 per home.
• The rebate may not exceed 75% of the actual cost of the safe room.

How to apply

Applicants register online at the SoonerSafe website. The document says registration is only available online.

If selected, the homeowner has 30 days to confirm participation. The homeowner then has until September 30, 2012 to install the safe room and submit required documentation in that year’s program materials. The document also says final required documentation was under review by FEMA and OEM at the time of publication.

Timing and deadlines

The document is a historical program FAQ posted by Canadian County. It describes a specific year’s selection and installation timeline, including a January 3, 2012 random selection date and a September 30, 2012 installation deadline. The Canadian County page currently links to the SoonerSafe program, but the FAQ itself is dated and does not prove an active rebate cycle today.