Myth vs. Fact About Registering For #FEMA #Sandy Aid

Friday, November 16, 2012

Myth vs. Fact About Registering For #FEMA #Sandy Aid

MYTH: I've already cleaned up the damage to my home and had the repairs made. Isn’t it too late to register once the work is done?

FACT: You may be eligible for reimbursement of your clean up and repair costs, even if repairs are complete.

MYTH: I'm a renter. I thought FEMA assistance was only for homeowners for home repairs.

FACT: FEMA assistance is not just for homeowners. FEMA may provide assistance to help renters who lost personal property or who were displaced.

MYTH: FEMA assistance could affect my Social Security benefits, taxes, food stamps or Medicaid.

FACT: FEMA assistance does not affect benefits from other federal programs and is not considered taxable income.

MYTH: My insurance agent told me I could not get help from FEMA because I have flood insurance.

FACT: Even if you have flood insurance you should register. FEMA may be able to help with uninsured costs.

MYTH: I heard registration involves a lot of red tape and paperwork.

FACT: There is no paperwork to register with FEMA. The process is very easy and normally takes between 15 and 20 minutes.

MYTH: I believe FEMA only makes loans so I didn’t apply for help because I don’t want a loan.

FACT: FEMA only provides grants. The grants may cover expenses for temporary housing, home repairs, replacement of damaged personal property and other disaster-related needs such as medical, dental or transportation costs not covered by insurance or other programs. They don’t have to be repaid.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides low-interest disaster loans to renters, homeowners and businesses of all sizes. Some applicants may receive an SBA loan application after registering with FEMA. No one is obligated to take out a loan, but if they don’t complete the application they may not be considered for other federal grant programs.

MYTH: Since I received disaster assistance last year, I’m sure I can’t get it again this year.

FACT: Assistance may be available if you suffered damages from a new federally declared disaster.

MYTH: My income is probably too high for me to qualify for disaster assistance.

FACT: Income is not a consideration for FEMA assistance. FEMA grants may cover uninsured losses.

MYTH: I don’t want to apply for help because others had more damage than I had; they need the help more than me.

FACT: FEMA has enough funding to assist all eligible survivors with their disaster related needs.

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.

CFN - California Fire News 2012

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Friday, November 16, 2012