Claremont Disaster Recovery Center To Become SBA Disaster Center
Release Date: November 21, 2003
Release Number: 1498-33
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PASADENA, Calif. -- In response to the public and to meet the needs of the communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) announced today that the Disaster Recovery Center in Claremont will remain open as an SBA Disaster Center.
The Camarillo Disaster Recovery Center will close Saturday, November 22. "The almost complete drop off in the numbers of people seeking assistance at this Center tells us that we have met the information needs of most of the victims of the California wildfires in Ventura county," said William Carwile, III, of FEMA, the federal coordinating officer for the Southern California disaster recovery effort.
"OES, FEMA, and SBA opened the Disaster Recovery Centers and Local Assistance Centers to provide one-stop, face-to-face assistance to individuals and businesses who suffered damage in the wildfires," Carwile added. After registering for assistance through FEMA's toll-free registration number (1-800-621-3362), individuals were able to visit these recovery centers in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties to obtain detailed information on the types of disaster assistance available from local, state, federal, and voluntary agencies.
The Claremont Disaster Recovery Center becomes an SBA Disaster Center on November 24 and will still be located at the Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd. It will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.
"OES will continue to work with other state and federal agencies, as well as local governments, to help those affected by the fires get back on the road to recovery as quickly as possible," said Dallas Jones, OES director and state coordinating officer for the Southern California wildfire disaster.
At the Claremont SBA Disaster Center, SBA representatives will continue to provide individuals and business owners with face-to-face service in completing their loan applications, answer questions about SBA's loan program, and show how an SBA disaster loan can help pay for disaster losses. Informational materials will continue to be available on FEMA's Individual and Household Program and the Hazard Mitigation Program.
Low interest disaster loans from SBA are available to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations. Disaster loans from SBA are the primary source of funds for repairing and rebuilding disaster damaged private property.
Anyone still needing assistance and information about other Disaster Recovery Centers that remain open may call the following toll-free numbers: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) and, for persons who have speech or hearing impairments, TTY 1-800-462-7585. The phones are staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for assuring California's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and war-caused emergencies, and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery efforts.
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: Wednesday, 26-Nov-2003 13:42:17