Dear Friends,
Wisconsinites are generous and caring, and the
response to the recent tornado in Stoughton demonstrated
those traits. We are all grateful for the
outstanding work of area first responders, emergency
government professionals, community organizations and
local volunteers.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our thoughts
are with all the victims of this tragedy in the Gulf
Coast states. Some of us have friends and
relatives who are affected. Many of us feel a
personal need to respond with aid and comfort, but
aren’t sure how to help or whom to call to offer
aid.
I have heard from dozens of you who are outraged,
as I am, by the slow response of the federal government
and there will be questions raised and answers demanded
of those ostensibly in charge of our homeland security
and federal emergency management, but first we must
focus on the crisis at hand. People must be fed,
clothed, and housed; the sick and injured must be cared
for; and families must be reunited.
Much has happened in the past week to address the
needs of survivors. To help you respond to this
national emergency, I have compiled the following
information which I will update as I learn more.
Additional information regarding charities and relief
agencies is posted on my website:
If you have further questions, please call my
offices in Madison (608-258-9800), Beloit
(608-362-2800), or Washington, DC (202-225-2906).
This American tragedy is an opportunity to renew
our shared American values by coming together with
common purpose for the common good.
Please scroll down for information on:
- Information for Evacuees in Wisconsin
- Locating Missing Persons
- Providing Help to Those Affected
- Financial Contributions
- Volunteers and Services
- Housing
- Education (including financial aid)
- Fraud Alert
- Contracting with FEMA
- Communicating with servicemembers affected by
Katrina
Information for Evacuees in
Wisconsin
Hurricane Katrina evacuees who have already arrived
or are arriving in Wisconsin can call the
Wisconsin Hurricane Relief Center at
1-866-211-3380 for assistance referrals.
Operators will be able to refer evacuees and family
members to appropriate resources.
In addition, evacuees are asked to register with
FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or for the hearing/speech
impaired at TTY: 1-800-462-7585, to learn if they may be
eligible for federal disaster relief programs which
include disaster housing and other grants. FEMA
registration is possible online at
www.fema.gov
Locating Missing Persons
If you are looking to find family or friends who
have been affected by this disaster, the following
websites should be of assistance:
Red Cross -- Family News Network of the
International Committee of the Red Cross
The site allows you to find a person by their last
name and it provides the last known residence.
Names may have been provided by relatives or the lost
person themselves. Information provided includes date of
birth, name of parents, etc.
It also provides address and phone numbers for the
person searching, where that person is currently located
and their relationship to the person sought.
or call 1-877-LOVED-1S to register
Providing Help To Those
Affected
Wisconsinites are very generous people. Here
are some links that you may find helpful:
Financial Contributions
Please be sure your monetary contributions are made
to reputable organizations.
Mississippi Office of the
Governor
Attn: Hurricane Fund
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, MS 39201
Make check to “Mississippi Hurricane Fund”
Alabama Office of the Governor
Attn: Emergency Relief Fund
P.O. Box 6135
Montgomery, AL 36106
Make check to “Governor’s Emergency Relief
Fund”
Contact: Sydney Hoffman, (334) 242-7110
Volunteers and Services
Many individuals and organizations have expressed a
desire to assist by providing services to those
affected. Individuals or organizations interested
in providing assistance are strongly urged to work
through state governments.
Wisconsin Emergency Management coordinates requests
for assistance from individual states during disasters
through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact
(EMAC). The affected states file mutual aid
requests for personnel, supplies and services, and then
other states in the compact can offer to fill the
request. Individuals and businesses who wish to
register their services can do so through Wisconsin
Emergency Management:
http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/.
If services offered are needed, the State of
Wisconsin will enter into a formal agreement with the
requesting state. This helps to ensure that the
requesting state receives what it requests and only what
it requests. It also allows for the accountability of
the people, equipment or supplies requested, and
facilitates the reimbursement of the unit of government
or organization filling the request. Travel costs,
lodging, per diem, salary and fringe benefits, and other
allowable costs are paid by the responding individual’s
organization and then reimbursed through EMAC. Costs
incurred by people who self deploy will not be
reimbursed.
The typical EMAC deployment is for 14 days with a
day of travel on each end. States may indicate different
deployment periods in individual specific request. EMAC
member states have agreed to accept the licensure and
certifications of individuals from member states.
Individuals deployed through EMAC are considered agents
of the requesting state for tort liability and immunity
purposes. If individuals are injured or killed during an
EMAC deployment they are compensated in the same manner
and the same terms as if the injury or death were
sustained in their own state.
Federal authorities strongly discourage self
dispatching and freelancing. There is a great urge
to do something now but the need for help will be long
term. We also want to be able to provide that long term
assistance.
Wisconsin Emergency Management is coordinating the
Hurricane Katrina relief efforts through EMAC. Please
click the link below to register your
services.
Housing
The U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.hud.gov
has established a single toll-free housing hotline,
1-888-297-8685, to assist the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. The number operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
CDT, seven days a week. Previously, HUD had toll-free
numbers for each of the different services provided by
the Department, such as FHA insured-mortgages, Section 8
rental assistance, multi-family housing, lender
information and public housing residents. Deaf,
hearing-impaired or other persons requiring TDD/TTY
services can call 1-800-877-8339.
Wisconsin Emergency Management -
http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/
- will be coordinating housing resources in Wisconsin
for individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina
interested in relocating to Wisconsin.
Education
Dislocated students will need special help
continuing their education. Area schools are
stepping up to the task. In addition, area
colleges and universities are making special
arrangements to help. Also, the U.S. Department of
Education has issued information on financial aid for
those affected. For more information,
contact the institutions directly:
The U.S. Department of Education is taking numerous
steps to address the challenges faced by students and
school districts. For the latest information on
these efforts, click on this link:
www.ed.gov
BELOIT COLLEGE: Beloit
College will welcome students in good standing on an
individual basis from the colleges and universities in
the affected areas. Students must obtain their own
housing, although Beloit College will try to assist in
finding suitable housing. Admissions office:
1-800-923-5648.
UW SYSTEM: Several UW campuses are
prepared to welcome students enrolled in colleges or
universities that are closed because of damage from the
hurricane. For example, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee,
UW-Oshkosh, UW-Waukesha, and UW-Whitewater are working
to help students with opportunities to earn college
credits that can be easily transferred to their schools
once they reopen, as well as assistance with financial
aid and housing arrangements.
The UW System Higher Education Location Program, or
UW HELP, is ready to answer questions and connect
students with specific UW campuses who can serve their
needs. UW HELP can be reached at 1-800-442-6459 or at
http://uwhelp.wisconsin.eduCharitable Giving: Fraud
Alert
As Americans are digging deep into their pockets to
help those affected by Hurricane Katrina, sadly, scam
artists are taking advantage of the situation.
There are ways that you can contribute to reputable
charities and protect yourself from fraud.
The federal government advises that the best way to
help immediately is to donate money directly to
established national relief organizations. The Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a new Consumer Alert,
"Helping Victims of Hurricane Katrina: Your Guide to
Giving Wisely," to help donors give wisely. Click
here to access the alert -
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/katrinaalrt.htm.
Here are a few other tips:
- Donate to recognized charities you have given to
before. Watch out for charities that have sprung up
overnight. They may be well-meaning, but lack the
infrastructure to provide assistance.
- Give directly to the charity, not the solicitors
for the charity. That's because solicitors take a
portion of the proceeds to cover their costs, which
leaves less for victim assistance.
- Do not give out personal or financial information,
including your Social Security number or credit card
and bank account numbers to anyone who solicits a
contribution from you. Scam artists use this
information to commit fraud against you.
- Check out any charities before you donate. FEMA
(www.fema.gov)
has a Web site designed to facilitate donations - http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm.
Doing Business with FEMA – Hurricane
Katrina
Contracting Opportunities: If your
business has questions regarding contracting
opportunities with FEMA in support of the Hurricane
Katrina response and recovery operations, I strongly
suggest you contact one of the following agencies:
In general, proposals must include the following
information:
- Company name
- Business address
- Contact information
- Type of service or product offered
- Type of equipment
- Number of workers being provided
- Cost for service or product
- Whether the company is volunteering
services
You may also contact County offices of emergency
management, especially to offer clean-up services.
FEMA acquires the services of independent
contractors in accordance with the Federal Acquisition
Regulation, through sealed bidding or
negotiations. FEMA also accepts unsolicited
proposals for product and services. You may call
FEMA’s acquisition voice message system at (202)
646-4006 for more information concerning business
solicitations. Their website,
www.fema.gov/ofm
can give you a brief summary about doing business with
FEMA.
FEMA locates qualified small businesses through the
U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pro-net. You
may register with Pro-Net on the SBA’s website:
www.sba.gov
Communicating with servicemembers affected by
Katrina
For those wishing to pass along family status to
their military deployed family members, or for deployed
servicemembers seeking information about their family
members, click on this link:
Those who lack access to a computer should call one
of the following numbers:
| Army (Active) |
1-800-833-6622 |
| Army
(Guard) |
1-888-777-7731 |
| Army (Reserve) |
1-877-464-9330 |
| Air National Guard |
1-888-777-7731 |
| Navy (Active, Reserve, and Dependents |
1-877-414-5358 |
| Navy (Navy Civilians and Dependents) |
1-877-689-2722 |
| Air Force (Active, Reserve, Civilians,
and Dependents) |
1-800-435-9941 |
| Marine Corps (using MILITARY ONE
SOURCE) |
1-800-342-9647 |
| (USMC One Source) |
1-800-869-0278 |
