Wildfire Disaster Assistance Deadline Is April 14 

Release Date: April 11, 2006
Release Number: 1623-026

» More Information on Oklahoma Severe Wildfire Threat

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) encourage individuals and families affected by wildfires from November 27, 2005, to March 31, 2006, to register with FEMA by Friday, April 14.

“Now is the time to call 1-800-621-FEMA or go online and get into the system before the April 14 deadline,” Federal Coordinating Officer Philip E. Parr said. “You may be eligible for temporary housing and Other Needs Assistance grants resulting from your losses.”

“For the 125-day incident period, we’ve had 799 applications,” said State Coordinating Officer Kathleen Shingledecker. “As the Individual Assistance Program deadline nears, we want to make sure that all affected Oklahomans for that time period register before midnight Friday.”

To register, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for speech- and hearing-impaired. Applications are accepted from 6 a.m. to midnight. Individuals and business owners may also register online at www.fema.gov. Information is available in multiple languages.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003

Last Modified: Tuesday, 11-Apr-2006 09:41:21