Community Relations Teams Canvass Disaster Neighborhoods
Release Date: September 22, 2004
Release Number: 1551-011
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Ivan
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are sending community relations specialists into the counties hit by Hurricane Ivan to deliver information on assistance directly to the storm’s victims.
These individuals are walking door-to-door offering information and personal assistance, and providing telephone access to allow residents to cal the registration line. Individuals who have not registered can begin the assistance process by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing or speech impaired.
“We recognize the extreme hardship many individuals in hard-hit counties are experiencing and we are making every effort to make personal contact,” said Bill Carwile of FEMA, coordinating officer for federal recovery operations.
Community relations personnel are making special efforts to be sure that the elderly, those with special needs, individuals needing language assistance and those who have not yet registered are reached.
“We understand the extreme magnitude of this event and want to assure residents of damaged areas that the state and FEMA want to get everyone registered who has suffered any type of damage from the disaster,” said Frank Koutnik, deputy state coordinating officer.
The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’S mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief effort.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Thursday, 23-Sep-2004 09:19:23