Disaster Recovery Center Will Go to Washington Neighborhoods

Disaster Recovery Center Will Go to Washington Neighborhoods

September 30, 2003

Disaster Recovery Center Will Go to Washington Neighborhoods

(Washington, DC) The DC Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the US

Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

will bring a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to the people in areas of the

District who were affected by Hurricane Isabel.

The Disaster Recovery Centers, which will operate from the EMA Mobile

Command Vans, will be available from 9 am to 6 pm at the following sites and

dates:

Date and Locations:

Wednesday and Thursday October 1 and 2

1) 3924 Minnesota Ave., NE Chartered Health Parking Lot

2) Lot 4 RFK Stadium

Friday and Saturday October 3 and 4

1) 2100 Martin Luther King Ave., SE

2) Alabama Ave and Good Hope Rd, SE Safeway Parking Lot

Monday and Tuesday October 6 and 7

1) 16th St. and Colorado Ave., NW Carter Barron Amphitheater

2) 4th St. and Rhode Island Ave., NE (old Ames)

Wednesday and Thursday October 8 and 9

1) 4450 Wisconsin Ave., NW Tenley-Friendship Library

2) 2200 Champlain St, NW Marie Reed Learning Center

Friday and Saturday October 10 and 11 (Tentative)

To be determined at a later date To be determined at a later date

Disaster Recovery Centers are designed to provide detailed program

information to those who have already applied for assistance under President

Bush’s September 20 disaster declaration for the District of Columbia.

Representatives of the District, federal, and voluntary agencies will be

present, including loan officers from the US Small Business Administration.

“The DRC will give residents an opportunity to meet one-on-one with District

and federal officials to discuss specific aspects of their damage claims and

get answers to any questions they may have,” said DCEMA Director Peter G.

LaPorte.”

Applicants are encouraged to apply by using the FEMA toll-free registration

number: 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1 (800) 462-7585 for

those who are speech- or hearing-impaired. Recovery specialists are

available to take calls from 7 am to midnight, EDT, seven days a week until

further notice. To date, more than 700 District residents have called to

apply.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the US Department of Homeland

Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the

effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal

response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also

initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and

manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the US Fire

Administration.

Desi Deschaine

Community Outreach Coordinator

Executive Office of the Mayor

1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 211

Washington, DC 20004

The fan that will kill me

So I got a co-worker to install two fans in my house for the sum of $54. The fan in the first room is wonderful. The fan in my room, which I knew would be trouble, is still troubling. The problem with old houses is that you have old house hardware and quirks. The hardware the light, which was on the verge of killing me in my sleep, hung from what could have been an old gas lamp pipe. Heavens only knows.

The light was hanging loosely from the old fixture. I pulled the string to turn it off and on, the thing would wobble. It had a glass, a heavy glass piece that I took off once the whole piece started looking dodgy. Upon further inspection the lamp was hanging from some screws that had a minimal hold on the drywall in the ceiling.

I knew there would be trouble when the ceiling fan would replace the whole contraption. After 2 or so hours Mr. Grumpy Sunshine got it installed. He wasn’t too happy with the wobbling. He said the hardware up in the ceiling was loose.

The one big problem is the only way for me to turn the light on and off is to pull the cord. Which in turn pulls the fan, which pulls whatever loose hardware there is in the ceiling.

I’m now thinking, remote controlled fan. Thats the only way. The only was without doing some heavy recontruction.

Until then, I’m in danger of a 30lb fan hitting my bed in my sleep.