Oswego County Fire Department Awarded New Fire Truck

New York, NY – The Fulton Fire Department will be purchasing a new, well-equipped fire truck to replace a 26-year-old truck that has been out of service since January of this year, as well as no longer compliant with National Fire Protection Association standards 

“Without this federal grant, we would not have been able buy this equipment,” said David Eiffe, the department’s Assistant Fire Chief.  “Our older equipment has often been inoperable, forcing us to borrow a truck from a neighboring volunteer fire department.  We can’t serve our city that way; the NFPA standards are there for a reason.”

The funds for the truck come from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  “The truck will cost $450,000,” said Dale McShine, Director of Grant and Preparedness for FEMA’s Region II.  The federal share will amount to $428,572, and we are very pleased to play such an important role in the safety of Fulton’s citizens.”

Fulton has a population of some 12,000 citizens.  Its fire department, with 36 career firefighters, responds to a total of some 2,200 fire, emergency medical service calls, and car and industrial accidents, each year, said Chief Eiffe.  “This new truck will be able to carry 750 gallons of water and pump 1,750 gallons per minute.  It’s also equipped with a foam system that is highly effective in putting out house fires.”

The Chief said also that, in addition to saving taxpayers money that was needed for repairs of his outdated trucks, the new truck will contribute to the safety of our citizens for at least 15 years. 

The Fulton Fire Department has two fire stations, on the east and west sides of the Oneida River.  The new equipment will be located in the west-side station. 

Assistance to Firefighter Grants provide support to numerous firehouses throughout FEMA’s Region II, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.  The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Region II Chief for Grants, reports that in fiscal year 2014, the Region awarded 273 grants totaling $95.6 million.

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Oswego County Fire Department Awarded New Fire Truck

Louisiana Disaster Survivors Should Expect to Be Contacted

BATON ROUGE, La. —  If you’re a Louisiana disaster survivor who applied for federal help, you may get a text from FEMA to let you know about your application status.

In an effort to enhance communication with disaster survivors, FEMA is now using texts to connect with applicants. This allows survivors to communicate quickly and easily with the agency.

You may still be contacted through email or telephone if you chose one of those as your preferred communication method when you applied for federal help.

You may then check your application’s status by going online to disasterassistance.gov or downloading and using the FEMA app and then logging into your account.  You may also call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) call 800-621-3362. You may also use these resources to update your contact information.
Just ask if you require additional communication assistance. FEMA has access to foreign language and sign language interpreters and can provide materials in Braile, large print and electronic formats.

Remember never to provide personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers to anybody. FEMA only requests this information when you first apply for federal disaster assistance. FEMA inspectors only require verification of identity.

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Louisiana Disaster Survivors Should Expect to Be Contacted

Louisiana Flooding Survivors Receive FEMA Rebuilding Advice at Area Home Improvement Stores

BATON ROUGE, La. — As Louisianans repair and rebuild their homes damaged by August’s floods, FEMA and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes safer and stronger.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand at area home improvement stores from Sept. 12 through Sept. 24. They will be available to answer questions, offer tips and discuss proven methods for preventing and mitigating damage from future disasters. Most of the information is intended for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

FEMA advisors will be on hand at information points in the following stores from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The advice stand is closed on Sunday.

THE HOME DEPOT at the following locations:
3721 Ambassador Caffery Blvd.
Lafayette, La. 70501

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18139 Highland Rd.
Baton Rouge, La. 70810

143 N. Shore Blvd.
Slidell, La. 70460

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5000 Masonic Drive
Alexandria, La. 71301

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LOWE’S
2700 Charity St.
Abbeville, La.  70510

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STINE LUMBER COMPANY
29200 Walker Rd. South
Walker, La. 70785

Free reference booklets, in English and Spanish, with information on protecting your home from flood damage, will be available at all locations.

More information about mitigation can be found at http://www.fema.gov/louisiana-disaster-mitigation. Additional information on Louisiana’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4277, twitter.com/femaregion6, twitter.com/FEMA, facebook.com/FEMA, fema.gov/blog.

Download the FEMA mobile app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips. The app provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the nation. The latest feature of the app allows you to send notifications to your device to remind you to take important steps to prepare your home and family for disasters. Go to Ready.gov for more detail.

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Louisiana Flooding Survivors Receive FEMA Rebuilding Advice at Area Home Improvement Stores

Where to Bring Your Donations to Aid Louisiana Recovery Efforts: Multi-Agency Disaster Warehouse Available

BATON ROUGE, La.  — A multi-agency warehouse has recently opened where volunteers can sort and store much-needed donations and supplies to support recovery efforts across the state. The warehouse is being operated as a partnership between the state and Louisiana VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster).

Adventist Community Services, a national and Louisiana State VOAD partner, is managing the warehouse operations, supported by an AmeriCorps team.

The warehouse will serve as a centralized intake point for donations from local community members as well as businesses across the country. Donations will be distributed to support the efforts of non-profits, shelters, and parishes as they respond to the needs in their communities.

Contact Information:

Phone: 225-800-2227

Email: 2016flooddonations@gmail.com

Destination:

Please bring or ship to:

Multi-Agency Disaster Warehouse
9550 Dawnadele Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Items always needed include: Canned or non-perishable food, sports drinks, personal care items, work gloves, disposable baby diapers, baby food/formula, can openers (manual), plastic ware, paper products, blankets, disposable adult diapers, cleaning supplies, dust masks, heavy rubber kitchen gloves, flashlights and fresh batteries, non-sterile surgical gloves, mops, brooms, shovels, hand tools, kitchen items (such as new sets of pots and pans/cooking utensils). If unsure, just ask.

What is NOT needed: There is NO need for new or used clothing.

How to get it to us: We are encouraging businesses and groups to put together a truckload of supplies. This is the most effective way to make a difference. There is no funding to pay for shipping, so look for a business or trucker willing to donate a trip.

Once you have a truckload planned and know when it is ready to leave, it is essential to coordinate logistics before the truck leaves. We need to know a detailed inventory of contents, precise time it will leave, departure point, and estimated time of arrival. All truckloads of donations must be coordinated at least 48 hours in advance of arrival.

How to Pack Materials: Pack donations so they are not damaged in transit and are easily handled. Pack materials in cardboard cartons. Fill each carton with the same kind of item; mark it clearly with a large marker or other method, such as large paper labels. Organize canned goods by type.

Use cartons of small to medium sizes so they are manageable. Maximum weight should not exceed 30 pounds. Be careful not to overfill cartons. Pack cartons in trucks so they will not be easily crushed in transit. Palletized, shrink-wrapped loads are preferred.

How you can help:

A truly compassionate response is based on what is really needed by survivors. Be sure to confirm what can be used before collecting and shipping goods. Always arrange logistics in advance to ensure that the shipments can be accepted when they arrive to avoid delays.

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Where to Bring Your Donations to Aid Louisiana Recovery Efforts: Multi-Agency Disaster Warehouse Available

$1 Billion in Federal Disaster Assistance Helps Louisiana Disaster Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. –Federal assistance to help Louisiana disaster survivors and communities surpassed $1 billion less than four weeks after the Aug. 14 disaster declaration.

These funds are a result of federal agencies working closely with their local, parish and state partners to identify and find solutions to help survivors and the state recover from the severe storms and floods that occurred Aug. 11-31.

To date, more than 63,000 Louisiana families are  receiving assistance through one or more of the housing options available to them, including rental assistance, home repairs, hotel and motel stays, and other housing.

Financial disaster assistance comes in many forms. This includes reimbursing local and state agencies for expenses related to saving lives, helping displaced survivors stay close to their homes and in their communities, and providing them funds to help repair or rebuild.

Federal assistance includes funding from FEMA, payments from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). While there is still much work to be done, the funding contributes significantly to assisting survivors with their needs.

Here’s a rundown of how different federal agencies are helping Louisiana:

Providing housing solutions to survivors remains a top priority for FEMA. The agency approved grants of more than $505 million through the Individual Assistance program to help households temporarily pay for a place to stay and make repairs to make their homes safe, sanitary and secure. More than $95 million has helped households pay for disaster-related expenses like replacing essential household items and moving and storage costs.

Here are some other ways FEMA is helping Louisiana:

  • Twenty-six (26) Disaster Recovery Centers are open across affected parts of Louisiana where survivors can receive free face-to-face recovery help from state, federal and voluntary officials.
  • FEMA inspectors performed more than 114,000 home inspections. Nearly 95 percent of scheduled inspections have been completed.
  • Providing funds for disaster case managers from voluntary agencies to help survivors develop recovery plans, identify recovery resources and monitor goals.
  • Setting aside Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds to help people whose employment was affected by the disaster.

The SBA approved low-interest disaster loans of nearly $215 million to help businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters recover from property losses and other damage from the severe storms and flooding. Loans have been approved for almost 2,900 homeowners, renters and businesses.

NFIP authorized and issued more than $274 million in payments so policyholders can repair and rebuild their flood-damaged property.

The USDA is providing support to the state through nutrition and farmer and rancher assistance. More than $56 million in Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits have gone to survivors to help them with groceries due to lost income or damage following the severe storms and floods. Also, more than $19 million in replacement benefits have been provided to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households that lost food because of the disaster.

If you had severe storm or flood damage in Louisiana, you may still register for federal help by going online to disasterassistance.gov or by downloading and using the FEMA app. You may also call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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$1 Billion in Federal Disaster Assistance Helps Louisiana Disaster Survivors

How Louisiana Property Owners Can Help Disaster Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – If you own a multi-family dwelling that needs repairs and are willing to lease to eligible FEMA applicants, then you may be interested in the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MLRP). This FEMA program provides funds to make rental units habitable again, and at the same time helps survivors of the severe August storms and floods.

Here’s how it works: After you and FEMA agree on the work that needs to be done and the associated costs, you may choose your own contractor and start the repairs. The repairs or improvements do not need to be storm- or flood-related. The value of the work will be deducted from the value of the lease agreement, but may not exceed its total value.

To qualify for MLRP funds your property must meet certain criteria. First, it must have five or more units to qualify as a multi-family dwelling. Second, it must have been previously used as a rental unit. And third, it must be located in one of the following parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, or West Feliciana.

In addition, the property must be accessible to community services like schools and grocery stores, and not be located in a flood-prone area. FEMA will require a lease of exclusive use of the property as temporary housing for a period of at least 18 months. The property owner must provide all property management services, and repairs must comply with local building codes, standards, permitting, inspection requirements and other laws.

Contact the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program at 225-382-1464 or email fema-ia-dhops@fema.dhs.gov if you are a property owner interested in having your rental property repaired and assisting disaster survivors.

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Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

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 us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800- 877-8339.

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How Louisiana Property Owners Can Help Disaster Survivors

Thirty Seconds Now, Could Save a Life Later

Thirty Seconds Now, Could Save a Life Later

Take action for National Preparedness Month, Download the FEMA App

PHILADELPHIA – September is National Preparedness Month! Are you ready for when disaster strikes? What if there were an app to make you more aware of severe weather, help you prepare for an emergency and ultimately make you, your friends and family more disaster ready? Would you download it?

The FEMA app is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. It’s packed with features that make it useful and informative too, and allows you to:

  • Get weather alerts;
  • Get safety tips;
  • Prepare an emergency kit checklist; and
  • Get safety reminders.

Every minute counts when severe weather threatens. Nearly half a million Americans already have the FEMA app. So take 30 seconds today and download the FEMA App for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Be a Leader. You can help make difference and lead your family, organization, or business to take action and prepare. Whether it’s during the morning meeting at your office, at lunch with a friend, or at dinner with your family; take 30 seconds in your day to encouraging others to download the App and make a difference in their future!

On any given day, you may just find it to be the most important app on your phone.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.  Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

 

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Thirty Seconds Now, Could Save a Life Later

Your FEMA Registration is Important – Remember to Keep it Updated

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with FEMA following August storms and flooding are encouraged to stay in touch as the application is processed. The deadline for applying is Oct. 13.

Housing help, home repairs, and various other types of aid may be available to individuals who qualify with damage or loss from severe storms and flooding beginning August 11, 2016, and ending August 31, 2016. Federal funding may be available to affected individuals in Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, T. James, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Once you have registered, you can contact FEMA to check the status of your application or ask questions about the federal disaster assistance process. If you change your address or phone number, you should update that information with FEMA. Missing or erroneous information could delay scheduling a home inspection or receiving assistance.

Homeowners and renters may update their information the following ways:

  • by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov;
  • by calling 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • by talking face-to-face with a specialist at a disaster recovery center. Find the closest one at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.
  • by downloading the FEMA mobile app.

When updating your information, you should have on hand the nine-digit number you received when you registered. This number is on all correspondence you receive from FEMA and is a key identifier in tracking assistance requests.

For more information on the Louisiana recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the March storms at fema.gov/disaster/4277 or http://gohsep.la.gov/.

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Your FEMA Registration is Important – Remember to Keep it Updated

FEMA Speaks Your Language

BATON ROUGE, La. – If you or someone you know wants to apply for federal disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency probably can provide a translator or interpreter who speaks your language.

When you call the FEMA helpline, 800-621-3362, you will be asked in English to press “1” for English, or in Spanish, to press “2” for Spanish. If you do not press “1” or “2”, and do not hang up, an English-speaking registration assistant will answer and a language translator will be brought on line to assist the caller in registering for FEMA assistance. FEMA is able to provide translators for most languages.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. An American Sign Language interpreter can be made available at the Disaster Recovery Center when you visit.

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 Video Relay Service 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. Each disaster recovery center provides communication accessibility tools for people with communication disabilities.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4277.

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FEMA Speaks Your Language

FEMA monitors tropical systems along the East Coast and Hawaii

Residents urged to take direction from State, Local, and Tribal officials

WASHINGTON – FEMA, through its regional offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York City, and Oakland, and its Pacific Area Office in Honolulu, continues to closely monitor Tropical Storm Hermine and Hurricane Lester.

FEMA remains in close coordination with state emergency managers in Hawaii, and throughout the entire East Coast, as well as meteorologists at the National Weather Service forecast offices. Through the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC), FEMA is actively engaged with national level private sector officials across the nation.

Tropical Storm Hermine

According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Hermine is located 60 miles west- northwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. A Tropical Storm warning is in effect from Surf City, North Carolina, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and a Tropical Storm watch is in effect north of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to west of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

Tropical Storm Hermine may cause localized flooding and flash flooding possible, along with storm surge and tide could produce potentially life-threatening inundation along the next 24 hours in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area. There is danger for life threatening storm surge in the next 48 hours for coastal locations between the North Carolina and Virginia border and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Rainfall of 1-3 inches from Florida to North Carolina, 4-7 inches from North Carolina to Maryland, and 1-4 inches from Delaware to New Jersey and New York.

FEMA liaison officers deployed to the emergency operations center in Virginia to help coordinate any requests for federal assistance. A FEMA liaison officer deployed to the Maryland Emergency Operations Center today.

Additionally, a FEMA Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. A FEMA IMAT will also arrive in the Virginia Emergency Operations Center on Sunday mid-morning. The RRCC will activate to level III by mid-morning Sunday.

 Hurricane Lester

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Lester was located about 205 miles east- northeast of Hilo, Hawaii with maximum sustained winds were 100 mph with gradual weakening forecast over the next 48 hours. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Maui County and Oahu.

FEMA established a staging area in Kona, Hawaii to pre-position supplies closer to impacted areas, should they be needed and requested by the state, for distribution by state and local officials. More than 45,000 liters of water, 37,000 meals, along with generators and other supplies are in the staging area.

One FEMA IMAT is staged in FEMA’s Pacific Area Office in Honolulu, to support response activities and ensure there are no unmet needs. An additional FEMA IMAT has been placed on alert and is prepared to deploy to Hawaii if necessary. Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) personnel and pre-positioned communications caches are also deployed to Honolulu, to support emergency response communications needs.

Safety Tips

FEMA encourages residents and visitors in areas potentially affected by Tropical Storm Hermine or Hurricane Lester to monitor local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information, and follow the instructions of state, local, and tribal officials.

Storm tracks can change quickly and unexpectedly, so coastal residents should monitor weather conditions and take steps to prepare their home, family, and business. Those in potentially affected areas should be familiar with evacuation routes, have a communications plan, keep a battery-powered radio handy and have a plan for their pets.

There is the potential for flooding and storm surge with Tropical Storm Hermine and Hurricane Lester. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous. Nearly half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. Stay safe when in your car, by watching for flooding in low lying areas, at bridges and highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Storm surge poses a significant threat for drowning and can sometimes cut off evacuation routes, so do not delay leaving if an evacuation is ordered for your area.

Visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov to learn more about preparing for hurricanes and severe weather.

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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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FEMA monitors tropical systems along the East Coast and Hawaii

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