Neighbor News
Why Fire Victims should go to the Disaster Assistance Center
My visit to the DAC. When to go online, and what to do at the DAC.
My day at the Disaster Assistance Center in Agoura
If you suffered any loss from the Woolsey Fire, you should visit here (or the other locations like Malibu).
They have representatives from city, county, state and federal agencies, as well as a few non-profits such as the Red Cross.
Find out what's happening in Agoura Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Some provide information, some can actually help you efficiently solve problems.
For example, do you need to replace vital documents (birth or marriage certificates)? Make requests onsite.
Find out what's happening in Agoura Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Do you want notification of the mail the post office has received for you (sign up here).
Would you like to take care of nearly everything at the DMV without going there and waiting in long lines?
Most importantly, you should get a FEMA number so you can talk to the SBA about low interest loans. (Hint: apply online ASAP so you don’t have to wait in a huge line). See more details about this below.
Register with the Red Cross, because they serve as a clearing House for many services. And register with 211 (same reason). The Salvation Army has gift cards.
Also, file a claim with your insurance company/ies, and get an advance on your ALE and personal property (never accept a final settlement on the spot !)
The DAC is closed Sunday, open again Monday for a few more days. It doesn’t get any easier than this one-stop shopping opportunity!
Tips for a QUICK START to RECOVERY from the Fire:
(posted and updated on https://www.facebook.com/Woolsey-Fire-Recovery-Page-1314742505334407/
Getting back on your feet.
A survivor can take several steps to quickly get back on their feet so they can better face the challenges head.
1) one stop assistance
- LA County https://www.lacounty.gov/woolseyfire-disaster-assistance-c…/
- Ventura County - see notifications on Linda Parks Page https://www.facebook.com/linda.parks.94
2) Housing
Options include:
- short term (a few weeks) free housing through AirBnB - https://www.airbnb.com/welcome/evacuees/venturacounty
- if you have fire insurance, ask for an immediate financial advance on your your ATL and Personal property coverage (call your agent). (More details on dealing with insurance carriers later - Don’t accept an immediate settlement!!!)
- FEMA: go online to request short term housing assistance ( do this ASAP as it will take time...more details on this process later) https://www.disasterassistance.gov
- Register with the Small Business Administration. (You must have a FEMA number- see above.) they have relatively large low interest rate loans for housing, auto replacement, etc. https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/
- to follow-up on the status of FEMA & SBA after registering, call their 800 number, and give them your case #.
3) household supplies, clothing
- local groups have organized collection of donations
- gift cards for purchasing new items are available from these groups
For access to many of these sources of donations, register with their clearing houses:
- Red Cross
- 211
- FEMA
Also check out agencies that are collecting donations, such as:
Ventura County:
- Vccf.org
LA County
- LVUSD foundation
4) transportation
- there are no known quick solutions to replacing damaged vehicles (see the detailed steps to take in the main recovery post—coming soon).
- Uber & Lift, public transportation, taxis are available
- note that none of these are easy, accessible or affordable options in the areas where homes were lost outside of Oak Park & Agoura
Additional sources of information for Ventura County:
- VC Commissioner Linda Parks: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1294355515