St. Lucie County DRC To Suspend Operations 

Release Date: October 29, 2004
Release Number: 1545-154a

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Indian River Community College Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), at 3209 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, Florida, will cease operations on Friday, October 29, 2004 at the close of business, 7:00 p.m. Resources and personnel from this DRC will be shifted to other sites throughout the state.

Applicants from St. Lucie County and surrounding areas will still have access to two neighboring counties as well as any other DRC in the state. The neighboring counties are Martin and Okeechobee.

Martin County
Witham Airport, Bldg 30
1823 SE Airport Road
Stuart, Fla. 34996

Okeechobee County
Old Eckerd Building
2730 Highway 441 South
Okeechobee, Fla. 32131

Floridians impacted by the recent hurricanes are urged to register for assistance first by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585 for those who are speech or hearing-impaired. After applying, those who have questions may visit a center to meet face-to-face with recovery specialists.

All centers are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until November 1st. Effective November 1, 2004, the centers will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Representatives of state, federal, and voluntary agencies, as well as loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be on hand to answer questions and provide recovery information. Written materials about various assistance programs are also available to individuals and business owners.

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 the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Friday, 29-Oct-2004 16:18:15