What Are Disaster Recovery Centers
Release Date: September 26, 2003
Release Number: 1492-16
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Baltimore, MD -- The state of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have established Disaster 'Recovery Centers (DRCs) across the state to provide disaster recovery information and an opportunity for face-to-face contact between homeowners, renters or business owners and disaster recovery specialists.
Direct assistance is not provided at the DRCs. Each center is designed to be a major source of disaster-related information. The centers are staffed by representatives of numerous federal, state and voluntary organizations, including FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the American Red Cross, the Internal Revenue Service, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Department of Agriculture/Maryland Cooperative Extension, Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development, Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulations, and Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.
Specialists who can help you complete federal and state forms and applications for assistance, as well as check on the status of your application, are also available.
The first step in applying for disaster assistance is to call FEMA's toll-free registration number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY: 1-800-462-7585. Once registered with FEMA, applicants who have questions about disaster assistance may visit any Maryland DRC for answers and referrals. Those who still have no phone service as a result of the storms will find phones available for registration at each DRC. In addition to the DRCs, the FEMA Helpline (same toll-free number as the registration number above) is available to provide help to disaster victims who have questions about their registrations and the programs that may be available.
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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 03-Oct-2003 08:49:22