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January 5, 2005 Special Edition In this issue:
FirstGov.gov Provides Platform for Information on Relief Efforts www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Asia_Tsunamis.shtml FirstGov.gov has responded to the Asia tsunami disaster by publishing a new page that brings together all available government information on how individuals can contribute to U.S. relief efforts and on the condition of Americans caught in this disaster. Asia Tsunami Disaster is continuously updated as information becomes available. Highlighted on FirstGov.gov, all federal contacts related to the relief efforts are listed on Asia Tsunami Disaster, including the State Department Hotline, the American Red Cross FamilyLinks website, which connects families and friends separated by the disaster, and the Agency for International Development's list of relief organizations working in the disaster area. Links to all U.S. embassies in the affected countries are listed as well, along with the latest news from the White House, NOAA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Citizens who wish to contribute to the ongoing relief efforts may wish to make contributions to reliable charities supporting affected nations. Additional information available on the FirstGov.gov tsunami page may be found for citizens interested in offering further assistance: "How You Can Help" and "About Earthquakes and Tsunamis." Check FirstGov.gov daily for the latest news and information on federal and international relief efforts. GSA’s National Contact Center Aids Tsunami Victims While USA Services normally operates the hotline Monday through Friday, 8 am – 8 pm EST, it quickly opened telephone lines 24/7 to an American public frantically trying to get information on friends and relatives traveling or staying in the area hit by the disaster. The crisis has abated since Sunday, but at the State Department’s request, the 24/7 service will continue as long as the urgency remains. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the toll-free telephone number (1-888-407-4747) at a press briefing December 27 and it was highlighted on the State Department homepage. A second telephone number is available to callers outside the U.S. and Canada: 202-501-4444. As a result, the hotline has been flooded with anxious callers. A service that ordinarily handles about 300 calls per day has been averaging over 2,000 calls per day. A total of more than 22,000 calls were received during the 10-day period from 12/26/04 to 1/04/05. The National Contact Center functions much as a mini-consular office would. Agents answer questions from the calling public providing facts the State Department regularly updates, and gathering information as well. Agents enter the information they receive about individuals into a database–names, supposed locations, hotels, identifying characteristics, and contact information for interested parties. The National Contact Center transmits this database to the State Department regularly, and State officials return calls to friends and relatives as soon as they have anything to report. There have also been instances of individuals believed to be missing contacting the National Contact Center to pass along information on their own status. Some contacted the hotline number, but those who could not make telephone contact found other ways to get through. One young woman, caught on an island when the tsunami hit, and unable to establish telephone contact early on, emailed the FirstGov.gov website asking that information on her status and on that of her fellow travelers be provided to the State Department. The National Contact Center, which responds to FirstGov.gov email, duly passed on the information, as it did for several who found this the most efficient way to contact the authorities.
Related Information Available Via FirstGov.gov: White House Announces Massive Aid Program To this end, the White House announced a $350 million aid package and also welcomed the leadership of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush to boost continuing relief efforts and to raise funds for the people and nations affected. In addition, U.S. military assets have been deployed to help with recovery and to distribute aid. Among the relief efforts offered by the U.S.:
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