Southern California Fires Initial Response 11/2/07

Achievements

Fire Fighter Thank you cards
Approx 200 cards signed thus far
New horizons School Irvine
Rescheduled signing for Monday
Please see attachment


Satisfy the Ricon Band of Luiseno Indian Needs list
Cleaning kit
20 IR Cleaning kits and face mask delivered to the San Pasqual Indian Reservation Fire Station
100 IR Cleaning kits delivered to the Rincon Nation
After the assessment trip on the ground More Cleaning Kits Supplies were ordered, purchased and picked up at will call for later assembly
Water
6,000 + Water bottles scheduled to be picked up Monday Morning
Canned/Dry Goods
What logistics would be needed for the Fundraising Department to successfully complete a 5 day food drive with local and national contacts to complete the last goal from the initial assessment of the Ricon Nation of Luiseno Indians on 10/29/07 to have items ready for loading by next Saturday 11/10/07?

Assess the current situation at the Ricon Nation of Luiseno Indian Reservation
Fire Victims
64 homes burned
19 home owner in possession of insurance
Spoke with tribal members and tribal elders, shared laughs about painful things
Felt the fresh anguish of this destructive fire because of the lack of regional support
Toured their burnt homes, farms and businesses
Mushroom factory burned
Citrus Groves Burned
Livestock lost
Majority of the homes burned were owned by Elders in the tribe
These tribal elders and other evacuees are currently being housed in the Harahan Owned Casino
Ray the Tribal Housing Official with who took me on our extensive tour he was able to provide detailed info of the fire and current situation
This heroic man clocked in three 24 hour shifts during the fire battle SubhanALLAH
This tribe had to fight their own fires
Dogs and cats appeared dead passed out and drained from smoke inhalation
These animals were fortunately saved and nourished
No serious injuries outside of singed hair/skin smoke inhalation
Raymond manager of the Tribal Housing Authority and other staff thanked us sincerely and were amazed that IR was willing to help in their recovery in Indian Country despite the minimal media coverage and lack of assistance and compassion to this present point
Our extensive tour of the Ricon Band and the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indian reservation took place immediately after FEMA’s initial 15 min assessment of property damage
The completion of this FEMA assessment will determine how soon we can begin any proposed cleanup plans

What aid is FEMA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) supplying?
Below is a direct quote from FEMA’s ‘Help After disaster Applicants Guide to the Individuals & Households Programs (IHP)’ found in the Limitations section
“IHP will not cover all of your losses from damage to your property (home, personal property, household goods) that resulted from the disaster. IHP is not intended to restore your damaged property to its condition before the disaster. In some cases, IHP may only provide enough money, up to the program limits, for you to return an item to service. IHP does no cover business-related losses that resulted from the disaster. By law, IHP cannot provide money to you for losses that are covered by your insurance. While some money is available through IHP, most disaster aid from the Federal government is in the form of loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that must be repaid. Applicants to IHP may be required to seek help from SBA first, before being considered for certain types of IHP help.
A complete copy of this guide can be given upon request
The Casino Factor in terms of monetary compensation cannot be assumed to be superior to the FEMA’s compensation in the language above. A
The Harahan Casino is currently housing the Elders Affected by the Fires
Having a Casino on tribal land does not ensure the revenue goes to the recovery of these Tribes
Ray the Tribal Housing Staff Member/Fire Fighter/Tour Guide said that the tribe thus far can only depend on helping themselves (approx 700 members including elders and children) with the limited resources they have for their recovery
IR has an opportunity to give these distressed people help in rebuilding a Mushroom factory, Replant Citrus trees, replace livestock, clean burnt home sites and rebuild them

Goals
Short Term Goals
Thank You Cards
Distribute signed thank you cards to Fighters
Their are two or tree fire crews and other disaster support staff staying at the same hotel as myself in Irvine
Distribute the 1st batch of signed cards to Fire Fighters and Disaster Support Staff in Irvine
Cleaning Kits
Distribute 150-200 cleaning kits to the Rincon and La Jolla reservation
Purchase 200 hygiene kits from supplier
Lable kits
Insert kits into cleaning Kit buckets
Distribute Water to the Rincon and La Jolla reservation
Assemble kits 11/4/07
Distribute kits at the commencement of the Cleanup Project
Fire Damage Cleanup Project
Have 50 + solid volunteers ready for initial cleanup
This can commence after FEMA has officially completed and taken their assessment
Citrus Tree Planting Projects
Mushroom Factory Rebuilding Project
Home Rebuilding project

Comments concerns


My first experience with disaster response 1st began as a wild land fires with the native Americans in Montana on the Flathead Indian Reservation in 2000 and with the Nez Perce Native Americans with the brother Ronald Rebers (Project Coordinator Assistant at the Baton Rouge Office) on their reservation in Idaho of 2002


Its vital I get copies of photos and footage of the CA Fires Initial Response for a complete power point presentation ASAP