Dish Satellite TV Network And XM Satellite Radio Deliver FEMA Information To Shelters 

Release Date: September 17, 2005
Release Number: 1603-020

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BATON ROUGE, La.— The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that agreements are now in place with DISH Satellite TV Network and XM Satellite Radio to deliver up-to-date disaster assistance information to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in shelters and other locations across the country.

DISH TV Network is available in 79 shelters to date, and that number is expected to expand to more shelters and FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers as they open in the Gulf Coast area.

XM Satellite Radio has offered FEMA access to its emergency information network through the XM Red Cross Network on channel 248 and its around-the-clock Emergency Alert channel on 247.

Acting Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and FEMA Director R. David Paulison said, "FEMA is vitally concerned about disaster assistance information getting as rapidly as possible to the hundreds of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims who have been displaced and evacuated to shelters across the country. These humanitarian offers by DISH Satellite TV Network and XM Satellite Radio to provide receivers and satellite time offer the thousands of victims of this unprecedented natural disaster an instant avenue for getting the necessary disaster assistance information they need to begin the recovery process."

FEMA began broadcasting this Katrina disaster assistance information on Wed., Sept., 14, supplying DISH TV and XM Satellite Radio with the video and audio portions of the daily media briefings from the Hurricane Katrina Louisiana Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge, La. In addition to these daily media briefings, FEMA will produce and deliver disaster assistance information on such topics as housing, flood insurance, the registration process, community relations and other issues of interest to evacuees.

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: Monday, 19-Sep-2005 07:48:38