FEMA Flexibility Assists Evacuees In 21 Cities 

Release Date: April 28, 2006
Release Number: 1606-202

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AUSTIN, Texas -- A highly successful joint effort of cities and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reach hurricane evacuees in 21 northern Texas communities could become a model for future disasters, participants say.

The program, dubbed Applicant Assistance Service Sessions, grew out of a request from Fort Worth city officials to establish a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in that city once a week to serve evacuees unable to get to the existing DRC some 30 miles distant in Dallas. DRCs, jointly operated by FEMA and the state, provide a place to help disaster survivors register for assistance and receive referrals to other agencies which may be able to help in solving unmet needs.

Setting up another DRC was considered too expensive so a compromise solution was worked out in which FEMA provided DRC staff and set up laptop computers in office space donated by the cities. The cities provided some office equipment and sometimes security officers.

Voluntary agencies and city officials helped to promote the programs, which were held in one- or two-day sessions in 21 cities, starting with Lubbock and Fort Worth. The program extended from Jan. 19 to April 5, and also reached to Hurst, Arlington, Texarkana, Plano, Nacogdoches, Tyler, Cedar Hills, McKinney, Garland, Sherman, Waxahachie, El Paso, Marshall, Longview, Amarillo, Lewisville, Carrollton and Grand Prairie.

"The sessions were a huge success," said Iris Epsenhart, a FEMA supervisor who was with the program from start to finish. She said a total of 2,439 applicants were seen and had their questions answered about FEMA programs, insurance and other topics.

"We were asked to revisit a few cities and did so," Epsenhart said. The Applicant Assistant Service Sessions were revisited in Plano and Texarkana. Cost to both the cities and to FEMA was minimal.

"Applicant Assistance staff were able to move applicant cases forward, provide next-step guidance and make referrals to voluntary agencies for further information," said Rich Goble, a Community Relations manager for FEMA in Dallas. "The voluntary agencies also helped to generate interest by evacuees in visiting the help centers."

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, 16-May-2006 09:12:23