Tennesseans can Apply for Disaster Assistance Using Smartphones
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 | 04:18am
FEMA launches m.fema.gov in time for flood survivors to apply by the Aug. 5 deadline
NASHVILLE - Applying for federal assistance following Tennessee's spring storms and flooding became easier than ever Monday when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new feature to the m.fema.gov mobile platform.
For the first time, disaster survivors in the 46 counties designated for Individual Assistance can apply for federal assistance directly through their web-enabled mobile phone devices (such as BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, and Windows Mobile device). By visiting m.fema.gov, individuals can quickly access our partner site, www.DisasterAssistance.gov, to register for federal grants and low-interest loans.
Registration through the mobile site takes just three easy steps:
1. Go to m.fema.gov and click "Apply Online for FEMA Assistance." You will be directed to our partner site www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
2. Click on "Start Registration."
3. Fill out the registration form to apply.
"This is a great new way for Tennesseans to register for federal assistance," said James H. Bassham, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). "I urge flood survivors who haven't registered already to use the new tool by the Aug. 5, 2010, registration deadline."
"This new addition to our FEMA mobile site will provide disaster survivors with another avenue to quickly apply for assistance, not just from FEMA, but from the Small Business Administration and our other federal partners," said FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia B. Szczech. "This new addition to m.fema.gov is just another way we are expanding the tools we use to communicate with the most important member of our emergency management team – the public."
Go online to www.youtube.com/fema to watch a video of FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate demonstrating the new feature.
FEMA first launched the mobile version of its website, m.fema.gov, in May to give smartphone users easy access to information quickly and succinctly. This new feature takes the site a step further in allowing people to register for assistance right on their phones.
Functions such as the ability to check on application status or update an existing application will be added to the mobile site during the coming months. For now, application questions can be directed to FEMA's Helpline at 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or (TTY) 800-462-7585 for those with speech and hearing disabilities. The helpline operates seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and assistance is available in all languages. The deadline to register is Aug. 5, 2010.
Follow the recovery in Tennessee online at http://twitter.com/t_e_m_a, http://twitter.com/fema, http://www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, www.youtube.com/fema and http://www.flickr.com/photos/t_e_m_a.
The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA and TEMA do not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.