FEMA Closes El Cajon Disaster Recovery Center
Release Date: November 17, 2003
Release Number: 1498-26
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PASADENA, Calif. -- The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, closed permanently on Monday, November 17, at 7 p.m.
"The recent decline in the number of applicants for assistance at this Center indicates that the information needs of many victims of the California wildfires here in San Diego County are being met," said William Carwile of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the federal coordinating officer for the Southern California disaster recovery effort.
The El Cajon DRC is located at 1890 Cordell Court, behind the airport, in El Cajon.
"The Alpine Local Assistance Center will remain open and continue to serve disaster victims in this part of the county," noted Dallas Jones, Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) and State Coordinating Officer for the wildfire recovery. "This Center will remain open until we can be certain that its services are no longer needed," he added.
The Alpine Center is located at 1347 Tavern Rd., Suite 30. Its hours remain 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9.a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on Sundays.
The Local Assistance Centers and Disaster Recovery Centers were opened by OES and FEMA to provide one-stop, face-to-face assistance to individuals who suffered damage in the wildfires. After applying for assistance through the toll-free registration numbers, individuals may go to recovery centers to obtain detailed information regarding the types of disaster assistance available from various local, state, federal, and voluntary agencies. These include OES, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Red Cross.
The toll-free numbers are 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) and, for persons who have speech or hearing impairments, TTY 1-800-462-7585.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for assuring 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.
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: Tuesday, 18-Nov-2003 08:21:37