The Los Angeles Fire Department encourages you to share this information with friends and family in the County of Los Angeles who are in need of assistance following the recent wildfires...

"The Los Angeles County Operational Area will open three Local Assistance Centers for fire victims in coordination with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The local assistance centers will serve as one-stop sources for disaster relief services including information on how to replace records lost in the fires, file insurance claims and apply for assistance and housing. They will provide a single place for victims of the wildfires to get help in starting their recovery process.

President George Bush approved Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in California. The declaration will assist fire victims with resources like grants and temporary housing, disaster unemployment assistance and low interest loans for businesses.

The three Local Assistance Centers will open on Friday, October 26, 2007. The hours of operation for the centers are Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M., Saturday from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. and Sunday from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. The hours and days are subject to change.

Below are the locations of the Local Assistance Centers that will open on Friday, October 26, 2007:

George A. Caravalho Sports Complex
Activity Center-Canyon Rooms (A&B)
20880 Centre Pointe Parkway
Santa Clarita, CA 91350-2974

Castaic Regional Sports Complex
31230 Castaic Road
Castaic, CA 91384
(This center will open at 12 P.M. on Friday, October 26, 2007.)

Malibu Bluffs Park
24250 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announces that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.fema.gov or by calling
1-800-621-FEMA (3362) OR 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers for California will operate 24 hours Monday through Sunday.

Various Federal, State, County, and local agencies will be represented at the Local Assistance Centers. The participating agencies expected to be at the sites are the following:

FEDERAL
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
-FEMA Hazardous Mitigation
-Applicant Services
Small Business Administration (SBA)

STATE
Department of Public Social Services
Office of Emergency Services
Department of Insurance
State Contractor’s License Board
State Franchise Tax Board
Board of Equalization
California Veteran Affairs
Employment Development Department
Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Health Services

COUNTY
Consumer Affairs
Mental Health
Assessors Office
Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
Department of Public Works – Building Safety
Public Health
Health Services

NON-PROFITS
American Red Cross
Call 211 Los Angeles County
Emergency Network Los Angeles (ENLA)"# # #

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department