Oak View Disaster Recovery Center To Become SBA Disaster Office
Release Date: March 15, 2005
Release Number: 1577-025
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PASADENA, Calif. -- Federal and State disaster officials announced today that the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Oak View will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) office beginning on Tuesday, March 22. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (0ES), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and SBA officials opened up the DRC to provide one-stop, face-to-face assistance and disaster information to individuals and businesses who suffered damage as a result of the severe storms of December 27 through January 11.
“At this stage of the recovery process, the emphasis for assistance is on meeting the long-term needs of victims,” said Henry Renteria, state coordinating officer. “The transition of the Disaster Recovery Center to an SBA office will better meet the current needs of Ventura County residents.”
“Help with questions on federal and state disaster assistance is just a phone call away,” said Federal Coordinating Officer, David Fukutomi. “Operators at the FEMA toll-free number are available to help residents who have questions about their claims or damages.” The only way to register with FEMA is to call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The number for the hearing or speech impaired is 1-800-462-7585. Operators are available from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
After registering for disaster assistance with FEMA, individuals and business owners were able to visit the center to obtain information about the types of disaster assistance available from FEMA, SBA, the State Department of Social Services and other agencies.
To assist people in filling out their low-interest disaster loan applications, the SBA will have loan officers at the Oak View Park and Resource Center at 555 Mahoney Ave (off Highway 33), from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and on Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., until further notice.
At the Oak View SBA Disaster Office, SBA representatives will continue to provide individuals and business owners with face-to-face service in answering questions about SBA’s loan program, and explaining how an SBA disaster loan can help pay for their disaster losses. Informational materials will also be available on FEMA’s Individual and Household Program and on the Hazard Mitigation Program.
Low interest disaster loans from SBA are available to homeowners, renters, 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.
Individuals affected by the storms of Dec. 27 through Jan. 11 may still register for federal and state disaster assistance by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
OES coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring 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.
SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 15-Mar-2005 16:45:38