11/18/2008 GAAS:793:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | Email / Share
Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Additional Resources Available for Fire Victims
In
addition to signing an executive order this morning to assist fire victims in
their recovery efforts, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced
additional state resources available to help the victims of the devastating
wildfires in Southern California.
"We
will continue to work with our local and federal partners to do everything we
can to help the victims of these terrible fires get back to their normal
lives," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "It is critical that victims know where
they can turn to for help and I am committed to directing every possible
resource to help people get their lives back together as quickly as possible."
The
Governor is continuing to work with all levels of government to aid individuals
displaced by the fires in their recovery process and announced the state is
making the following resources available:
California
Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS):
The California
Department of Social Services (DSS) under CHHS will begin administering cash grants
of up to $10,000 available to help individuals who have suffered losses in the
fires. The grants are a supplemental program to FEMA-administered assistance
and help fire victims with expenses caused by a direct result of the disaster
such as housing, replacing household items, medical costs and transportation.
Individuals must apply
for assistance through FEMA first, which forwards applications to DSS for
consideration. Only those applicants who have received the maximum FEMA award
may be considered for state supplemental grants. For more information, contact
the California Department of Social Services, State Supplemental Grant Program
at 1-800-759-6807 (TTY for hearing and speech impaired: 1-800-822-6268).
State
and Consumer Services Agency (SCSA):
The SCSA has set up the
Consumer Protection Hotline, 1-800-952-5210, and the www.rebuildyourlife.ca.gov Web site to reduce fraud and provide easy to access information. Fire victims
can access the hotline and Web site to verify the legitimacy of a particular
contractor and check for any previous complaints against businesses offering
services to help rebuild their lives and homes.
Through the hotline, callers
can speak to a live operator and receive assistance in several languages. They
will be provided with contact information for vital resources like housing
assistance programs and receive guidance on the services that are available for
disaster recovery efforts. The hotline and Web site will also direct victims to
other federal, state and local government agencies that can directly assist
with their needs.
CaliforniaVolunteers:
The Governor's
CaliforniaVolunteers Office is coordinating volunteers and monetary donations
to help Californians cope with the effects of the wildfires. As part their
efforts, CaliforniaVolunteers launched a new online donations portal to make it
simpler and easier to help the victims of these fires. Individuals, businesses and
groups interested in helping can visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org to find volunteer and donation opportunities.
California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans):
To help expedite
infrastructure repairs and get life back to normal in the affected areas,
Caltrans has already begun working on emergency contracts to help address
impacted roadways and transportation lines and repair melted irrigation
systems. These emergency contracts will also address the need for erosion
control measures on bare slopes within highway right-of-ways.
Following the Governor sending a letter yesterday, the President today declared a federal disaster as a result
of damage and destruction caused by wildfires in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside
and Santa Barbara counties. The declaration makes federal funding available to
individuals displaced by the fires through grants for temporary housing and
home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. It also
provides for public assistance such as debris removal and emergency work to
repair and replace facilities damaged by the fires.
To aid fire victims on their road to recovery, the Governor
issued an executive order earlier today to assist
fire victims by waiving fees and assisting in the replacement of certain vital
documents, suspending the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance as
well as expediting the cleanup and debris removal process. Yesterday, the
Governor also announced the opening of a one-stop local
assistance center in Orange County to provide services from local, state and
community based agencies to individuals affected by the Freeway Fire.
For up to date information and details about the fires
burning in Southern California please visit the Governor's Office of Emergency
Services' Web site at www.oes.ca.gov and CAL FIRE's Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.
