seniors,Katrina victims move,Formaldehyde Study,Tornado,storm,disasters,weather disaster,fema disaster aid,fema.html

If your area has received a Federal Disaster Declaration, Register for Disaster Assistance by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech and hearing impaired.

911

This site was started as a resource and referral for people after the 9-11 Tragedy. Because the scope of this task has grown tremendously as the world has changed and communications are more important than ever we need to further expand. This is a one person endeavor, and because of the enormity of the coverage needed, I am asking that companies who regularly check in with us to take out advertisements to help defray the costs involved. Your message will go to as many as twenty countries, and have a major impact between Washington, D.C. and Toronto, Update 5-06-2008

The site has been in operation since August 2002, we are at this point serving approximately a thousand visitors a month and many of them are international.We have had as high as 56 countries visit our site in a months time.

Email to ask about the other details. Web Master mdknaus@911info.net

Apply by phone for FEMA Aid

1-800-621-3362

Call TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people
with speech or hearing disabilities.

After you have applied for aid go see

Citizen Preparation for Disasters

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family, and community preparedness. The guide has been revised, updated, and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available.

Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their local area, and how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit. Other topics covered include evacuation, emergency public shelters, animals in disaster, and information specific to people with disabilities.

SEE DETAILS

FEMA

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate

10-25-2009 FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the president's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the municipalities of Bayamón, Cataño, Guaynabo, San Juan, and Toa Baja.Fugate named Philip E. Parr as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Illinois Seniors

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois senior citizens can feel comfortable knowing that applying for, or receiving federal disaster assistance will not cause them to lose Social Security benefits, pay additional taxes, or give up any benefit programs they may have.

"A federal grant does not add to a senior's taxable income, as long as the grant is given as assistance to recover from a disaster," said FEMA Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry. "This means that senior citizens will not have to sacrifice any part of their Social Security benefits."

Additionally, disaster grants won't affect income levels causing a senior citizen to become ineligible for Medicaid, welfare assistance, food stamps or Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). FEMA grants are not repaid by the recipient.
"Applicants may receive a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application in the mail," said Michael Peacock, SBA communications specialist. Seniors should fill out and return the loan application even if they think they won't qualify."

If you don't qualify for a loan you may be referred to FEMA's Other Needs Assistance program for additional grant assistance. To apply for federal assistance from the June 1 to July 22 severe storms and flooding call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. CDT. Those who are speech and hearing impaired with TTY equipment call 1-800-462-7585.
Seniors who have questions about their disaster loan application can contact the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or visit www.sba.gov/disaster/ They can also go to any of the three Disaster Loan Outreach Centers open in Illinois.

Those locations are:
Hancock County
Dallas City Elementary School
921 Creamery Hill Road
Dallas City, IL 62330
Hours: Monday ? Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Closes: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

Rock Island County
Milan Municipal Building
405 East 1st St
Milan, IL 61264
Hours: Monday ? Friday, 9 a.m. ? 6 p.m.
Closes: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Winnebago County

Michelsen's Office Furniture
8020 N. 2nd St
Machesney Park, IL 61115
Opens: Monday, August 11 at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday ? Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closes: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 6 p.m.

Grants

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- In the first week more than $1.5 million in grant assistance has been approved to date by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as they continue to assist the Illinois Emergency Management Association (IEMA) in the recovery from the severe storms and flooding from January 7 and continuing. President Bush issued the major disaster declaration on March 7.

Disaster recovery efforts through March 13th include:

• A total of 547 individuals already registered for disaster assistance. There were 352 registrations from Iroquois county and 185 registrations from Livingston County.
• More than $984,573 in Individual Assistance funds was approved for 265 households.
• More than $800,000 ($844,767) in Housing Assistance has been approved to cover rental assistance, temporary lodging, and housing repairs for 193 applicants.
• More than $139,000 ($139,806) in Other Needs Assistance (ONA) has been approved for 72 applicants to cover their personal property loss, medical costs and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued application packets for low-interest disaster loans to 324 homeowners and 84 businesses. The SBA provides low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, non-profit organizations and businesses of all sizes.
• FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are now open in Pontiac and Watseka. These facilities will be open seven days a week from 9 a. m. to 7 p. m. (CST) until March 22. After March 22, DRCs will be open six days a week, from Monday through Saturday.

Residents can register for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 or visiting www.fema.gov on line. The registration line is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CST) until further notice.

National Preparedness Month

US Homeland Agency annonces plans to help Americans prepare for crisis. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today joined with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate and the Ad Council to launch a new series of Ready Campaign public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to encourage all Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies, kicking off September’s National Preparedness Month.

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility that begins with the American people,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These public service advertisements highlight the simple steps everyone can take to prepare for disasters, enhancing the safety and security of our country.”

“Emergency response is a team effort, and the most important member of that team is the public,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The truth is, the more the public does now to prepare, the better we can respond in the future. That’s why we are launching PSAs, encouraging Americans to visit Ready.gov and learn how they can do their part to prepare.”

Due to Formaldehyde Tests FEMA Moves Katrina Victims Out

FEMA is taking additional steps to expedite the relocation of residents from manufactured housing to apartments or other alternative housing including hotels, motels, and "Katrina cottages." The priority in relocation will be those occupants expressing a health concern and those most susceptible to health risk such as the elderly, households with young children and those with respiratory challenges.

FEMA previously announced a plan to close all group sites and relocate residents by June 1 of this year and will continue this activity as part of our ongoing efforts. FEMA has already moved 105,445 households out of temporary housing units as residents return home or move into long-term housing solutions. During the week of February 6, 2008, 983 households moved out of temporary housing and FEMA continues to move between 800 and 1000 households out, on average, per week.

CDC and FEMA recommend that Gulf Coast families living in travel trailers and mobile homes spend as much time outdoors in fresh air as possible. Residents should open windows to let fresh air in whenever possible, and try to maintain the temperature inside their travel trailers or mobile homes at the lowest comfortable level. Higher temperatures can cause greater release of formaldehyde. Persons who have health concerns are encouraged to see a doctor or another medical professional.

The two agencies have established toll-free hotlines. FEMA employees are available to discuss housing concerns at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC specialists will respond to health-related concerns at 1-800- CDC-INFO.

You can appply online for assistance by going to http://www.fema.gov

FEMA

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently issued Emergency Lodging Assistance (ELA) guidance that allows assistance to occupants of FEMA-provided temporary housing units who ask to be moved because of health concerns associated with their units. FEMA temporary housing units include travel trailers, park models and mobile homes.

Under the new Emergency Lodging Assistance guidance, FEMA will provide assistance to individuals and households to stay at a hotel or motel for an initial 30 days or until more appropriate housing is located. Extensions can be authorized on a case-by-case basis. The guidance went into effect on August 22, 2007.

The guidance stipulates that residents must be currently registered for assistance, currently living in a FEMA-provided temporary housing unit, and agree to the terms and conditions of the program. These conditions include a signed agreement acknowledging that the hotel or motel rooms are only for the use of the applicant’s household; that the household will not be able to return to the FEMA temporary housing unit; and that they will not be able to purchase the unit under the sales to occupants program should it be reinstated. The conditions also include a requirement that the applicant is responsible for paying for all charges except room and tax, which will be paid by FEMA; and an acknowledgement that FEMA may terminate this assistance with 14 days of written notice.
Occupants of a FEMA-provided temporary housing unit who have a health concern may contact FEMA at the FEMA Formaldehyde information number: 1-866-562-2381; TTY 1-800-462-7585. More information is available at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2005katrina/useful.shtm.

Formaldehyde Study

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its assistance and expertise in conducting a public health assessment of indoor air quality in its temporary housing units. Although tests of air samples from travel trailers in the Gulf Coast have demonstrated that ventilating the units is effective in reducing levels of formaldehyde, the health and safety of residents is FEMA's primary concern and FEMA believes additional research is needed to address recently raised inquiries and concerns.

The study will be conducted by the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) in consultation with CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NCEH tracks and evaluates environment-related health problems while NIOSH brings its expertise in exposure assessment to the study.
The study will involve testing actual air quality conditions in travel trailers when they are used for prolonged periods of time under real-life conditions. In the study conducted last summer by the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the testing was done in new, unoccupied trailers in order to determine formaldehyde levels associated with the units themselves, excluding any changes related to activities by the occupants.
The investigation will take a two-phased approach, with an initial more rapid study and an in-depth, longer-term study to give us a better understanding of the complete issue. CDC is being asked to provide an estimate for formaldehyde levels designed to avoid long-term health or irritant effects for most persons living in the units, and to identify practical means of reducing indoor air levels of formaldehyde to appropriate levels, once those levels have been established.
The critically important question that FEMA is asking CDC to address focuses on whether or not there is an association between poor indoor air quality in the travel trailers and adverse health effects in children who live in them. This NCEH study will involve thorough indoor environmental assessments collected over time along with interviews and observations of trailer residents, including children, and will focus on broader indoor air quality issues and exposures.

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FEMA

10-25-2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) renewed its partnership with Feeding America, the nation's largest nongovernmental hunger-relief charity at an event at the Greater Chicago Food Depository in Chicago, IL. At the event a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Feeding America Senior Vice President for Government Relations George Braley, extending the important relationship between the organizations and allowing Feeding America to continue to provide FEMA with support during the response and recovery phases to emergencies and disasters.

"FEMA is only one part of the emergency response team," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "That team includes our entire federal family, state and local partners, the private sector, the public and non-profit organizations like Feeding America. As the federal coordinating agency in times of disasters, it is critical that we are able to leverage the resources of our partners, and today's event ensures that we can bring the resources of Feeding America to bear when communities are in need."

"Emergency Managers, at all levels of government, have come to recognize the Feeding America network of food banks and agencies as an important resource for effectively distributing relief supplies following disaster," said George Braley, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy. "This new MOU with FEMA formally recognizes our great partnership and work together in recent years. It also demonstrates our shared commitment to help build more resilient communities by focusing on the most vulnerable among us."

Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. Their network of more than 200 food banks serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Through the MOU Feeding America agrees to provide support to FEMA as an active member of the mass care emergency support function. Feeding America will continue to participate in immediate disaster response and long-term recovery by coordinating with and supporting other mass care providers as needed. The agreement also allows Feeding America and FEMA to make full use of the National Donations Management Network. This includes sharing information on available donated goods and volunteer services for disaster response and recovery. In connecting non-profit agencies like Feeding America with members of the public and private sectors who are looking for ways to help, FEMA is able to more quickly support non-profits in meeting the specific disaster-related needs of survivors.

The agreement also encourages the 200 member organizations of Feeding America to become compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which provides organizations the tools necessary to become an active partner during our nation's preparedness for, and response and recovery to disasters.

FEMA continues to engage daily with our voluntary agency partners who play a critical role in disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. For more information about these partners visit the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Web site at www.nvoad.org. More information about Feeding America can be found at www.feedingamerica.org.