Most South Carolina Disaster Recovery Centers Will Be Closed on Sundays, Open Veterans Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Most South Carolina disaster recovery centers will close on Sundays beginning this weekend with a few exceptions.

Only centers located in the following counties will remain open on Sundays until further notice:

  • Bamberg County
    • Kearse Building, 847 Calhoun St., Bamberg
  • Berkeley County
    • Berkeley County Magistrate’s Office, 303 N. Goose Creek Blvd., Goose Creek
    • Berkeley County Emergency Medic Station No. 7, 1501 Recreation Rd., Huger
  • Colleton County
    • Colleton County Recreation Center, 280 Recreation Lane, Walterboro
  • Georgetown County
    • Potato Bed Ferry Community Center, 531 Big Dam Swamp Drive, Andrews
    • Beck Recreation Center, 2030 W. Church St., Georgetown.
  • Horry County
    • Horry County Government and Justice Center, 1301 Second Ave., Conway
  • Newberry County
    • Newberry County Sheriff’s Emergency Services Building, 540 Wilson Road, Newberry
  • Orangeburg County
    • Gaillard Park Rural Development Center, 848 Sandspoint St., Eutawville

All other centers are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday until further notice.

Veterans Day Closings

All centers are open on Veterans Day, except for ones in public libraries. The following are closed on Veterans Day:

  • Lexington County
    • Irmo Library at 6251 St. Andrews Road in Columbia
    • Cayce West Columbia Library at 1500 Augusta Road in West Columbia
  • Richland County        
    • Richland Main Library at 1431 Assembly St. in Columbia
    • Richland Library Eastover at 608 Main St. in Eastover
    • Richland Library Southeast at 7421 Garners Ferry Road in Columbia

Representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are at the centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest loans. They can also help survivors apply for aid.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive state/federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids.

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Most South Carolina Disaster Recovery Centers Will Be Closed on Sundays, Open Veterans Day

Disaster Fraud: Filing A False Claim With FEMA is a Felony

LINCROFT, N.J — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s primary mission is to help citizens and first responders prepare for, respond to and recover from all manner of disasters. To that end, FEMA takes the disbursement of necessary funds to the proper parties very seriously.

People who intentionally try to defraud the government are taking money away from those who truly need assistance. FEMA must ensure that taxpayer dollars go only to people who incurred legitimate losses. This may include prosecuting anyone who makes a fraudulent claim.

People who are caught trying to claim false losses can be charged with a felony and, if convicted, face a maximum five- to 10-year prison term and up to $250,000 in fines.

If you know of someone who is filing false damage claims with FEMA, you should report this or other instances of fraud, waste or abuse to the Fraud Hotline at 1-800-323-8603. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Caller identification will remain confidential.

Calls may be answered by a recorded message. The caller will be asked a few questions. The information will be entered into the data system and assigned to a field investigator. If the caller left a name and phone number, it will be the investigator who will call back, not the person who took the call. An inspector has 90 days to verify the complaint. Calls can be taken in both English and Spanish.

You can also fax a complaint to 1-202-254-4292, fill out an online form on the Office of Inspector General website (www.oig.dhs.gov) or send mail to: Office of Inspector General/MAIL STOP 0305, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Drive SW, Building 410, Washington, DC 20528.

Special agents from the Office of Inspector General use a number of methods to detect fraud. An automated system cross-checks information with other agencies and insurance companies to weed out duplicate applications. Field inspections are conducted to verify losses and damages for every person who applies to FEMA for individual assistance. Potential cases of fraud or misuse are referred for prosecution as federal offenses.

Conducting audits and investigating possible fraudulent activities is standard procedure in all federal disaster operations. The U.S. Department of Justice prosecutes cases that result in criminal charges.

Any applicant who has made a mistake when reporting damage or has misrepresented losses has the opportunity to correct or cancel their claim. Individuals need to call FEMA’s Helpline, 1-800-621-FEMA, to withdraw or correct an application and prevent prosecution.

For more information on New Jersey’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/SandyNJ, twitter.com/FEMASandy, facebook.com/FEMASandy and fema.gov/blog.
 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
 

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Disaster Fraud: Filing A False Claim With FEMA is a Felony

Federal Law Enforcement Personnel Learn New Emergency Management Skills from FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute

EMMITSBURG, MD – Thirty three law enforcement officers and staff from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Justice Department’s Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) graduated from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Foundations of Emergency Management course. The law enforcement personnel acquired the basic skills and knowledge to help them meet challenges in the field of emergency management.

The Foundations of Emergency Management course (L-101) was delivered by FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) at ATF Headquarters in Washington, D.C., from July 22 through August 2, 2013. The course is one of five in the National Emergency Management Academy and covers legal issues, intergovernmental and interagency context, influencing, organizing, serving the whole community, managing stress, collaboration, preparedness, team building, protection, prevention, mitigation, response, ethical decision-making, recovery, technology, administration, and the future. The course also requires prerequisite independent study courses to be completed.

“Law enforcement is an integral part of emergency management before, during and after disasters,” said EMI Superintendent Tony Russell. “Law enforcement personnel who attend EMI’s Foundations of Emergency Management course take what they learn and apply the basics of emergency management to their specific law enforcement roles in the field to help them provide better community assistance during emergencies.”

EMI and ICE signed a Memorandum of Agreement to initiate a cooperative training effort to provide courses for law enforcement officials whose positions include responsibilities in the field of emergency management during disasters.

“Law enforcement is an important part of successful emergency management and this EMI course demonstrates a true whole community approach for training and educating law enforcement personnel,” said Roberto Hylton, FEMA’s Senior Law Enforcement Advisor. “We strive to help law enforcement to be better prepared when disasters strike as they work to protect and serve the people in their communities and respond in times of national emergencies.”

The National Emergency Management Academy offers the tools for students to develop a comprehensive set of basic skills needed in emergency management. For those who are new to emergency management or transferring from another profession, this Academy provides a unique opportunity to build camaraderie and establish professional contacts. Students also learn to understand the roles, responsibilities and legal boundaries associated with emergency management.

The Academy is part of FEMA’s new Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP). The EMPP curriculum is designed to support life-long learning for emergency managers and includes the entry-level Academy; a Specialized and Technical Training program to develop specific skill sets; a Leaders Academy to develop the next generation of emergency management leaders; and an Executive Academy for federal, state, tribal and local agency officials at a senior policy and strategic level.

FEMA is linking training and career development programs to an established set of competencies through a progressive training and education system. EMI develops training objectives based on the Emergency Management competencies agreed to by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management professionals.

For more information on FEMA’s training courses and the Foundational, Leaders and Executive Academies, go to: http://training.fema.gov/empp/.

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Federal Law Enforcement Personnel Learn New Emergency Management Skills from FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute

Being Alert To Fraud Following Superstorm Sandy Helps Recovery And Taxpayers

TRENTON, N.J. — While the vast majority of people who have registered and received FEMA assistance have genuine needs, the rush to get millions in disaster assistance to those affected by Superstorm Sandy, sadly, presents opportunities for dishonest people to defraud taxpayers.

Fraud increases the cost of recovery after a disaster and gives money to those without disaster-related losses, emergency management officials warn.

The Inspector General for the Federal Emergency Management Agency investigates complaints of fraud, waste or abuse involving FEMA contracts, programs or personnel. FEMA maintains a toll-free Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.

Potential cases of fraud or misuse of funds can be referred to the U.S. Justice Department for prosecution. Penalties for felony offenses can be severe.

These are some examples of complaints that are typically filed with the FEMA Office of the Inspector General:

  • Applicants used false names and multiple and/or fictitious addresses;
  • Applicants claimed losses they didn’t sustain or to which they were not entitled;
  • Applicants did not use FEMA money for the intended purposes;
  • Municipal officials used FEMA money for their own benefit;
  • FEMA checks were stolen; and
  • Applicants received duplicate payments from FEMA and their insurance companies.

Complaints can also be filed by writing to:                                                                  

National Center for Disaster Fraud

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909

Those who visit the Office of the Inspector General Web site at www.fema.gov/ig/hotline.shtm will find an option to submit a complaint using Internet electronic mail. Those who submit complaints via e-mail must waive confidentiality because of the non-secure nature of Internet electronic mail systems.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Being Alert To Fraud Following Superstorm Sandy Helps Recovery And Taxpayers

Hurricane Isaac Survivors ElIgible for Disaster Legal Services

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisianians who sustained damage from Hurricane Isaac can now call the Disaster Legal Services hotline at 1-800-310-7029 for free legal assistance and counseling.

Through the hotline, volunteer lawyers can help eligible hurricane survivors with legal issues related to the hurricane. Volunteer lawyers can discuss insurance claims, landlord-tenant issues, consumer protection issues and the replacement of wills or other important documents that were lost or destroyed during the storm.

Callers should be prepared to discuss particular legal problems caused by the disaster and to provide a current contact phone number. To be eligible for this free legal assistance, they must reside in one of the 21 parishes designated for Individual Assistance under the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac. The parishes are Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne,  Washington and West Feliciana.

Disaster Legal Services is a federally funded program run under an agreement between the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, Louisiana State Bar Association, the Louisiana Civil Justice Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The call center operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Voicemails are returned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. Legal assistance for Spanish-speaking callers is also available.

Hurricane survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Hurricane Isaac Survivors ElIgible for Disaster Legal Services