De Soto County Disaster Recovery Center To Close
Release Date: February 23, 2005
Release Number: 1539-385
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- The South Florida Community College Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), at 2251 Northeast Turner Avenue in Arcadia, will close permanently at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.
“A DRC’s continuing operation is based on the number of applicants who make use of the center’s services. In many instances, a slight decline in daily visits is expected,” said State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate. “However, when daily visits to a center decrease to a point where there is no longer a need to be open, the DRC will close. We will not close a center as long as there is an ongoing need.”
Much of the information available at a DRC is also provided through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) toll-free registration and Helpline services at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). For those who are speech or hearing-impaired, the TTY number is 1-800-462-7585. The lines are available Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
“We continue to monitor registrations and DRC activity, “ said Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Carwile. “If this information points to the need of another DRC in the future, we can place a mobile DRC unit in De Soto County.”
Individuals and business owners are urged to register for assistance first by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The deadline to apply is at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.
Floridians may also register for assistance online. Those with access to a computer can enter the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov. Look for and click on the words “Register for Disaster Assistance Online” located at the top-right side of the page in a green box.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
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: Thursday, 24-Feb-2005 10:07:50