Thousands of items were destroyed in the Los Angeles County fires, including important documents that included critical personal, medical and financial information.
Jennifer Jorge, director of community social services for the Motion Picture and Television Foundation, said fire survivors experience a range of feelings, including shock and sadness, while recognizing the need to begin mobilizing for rebuilding and recovery.
This article is provided free of charge to help our communities stay safe and supported during these devastating fires.
So after a fire survivor is able to obtain food and shelter, the first item on their list may be applying for and replacing important documents.
Some form of identification is required to apply for disaster relief, file an insurance claim and, in some cases, pick up free essentials from local distribution centers.
But the process can be daunting.
"There's so much information out there, a bit of information overload actually, so what we really want to do at the (Motion Picture and Television Foundation) is provide practical help to help people start to narrow it down and focus on what they need to do," Hall He said.
The advice Jorge and the social services team share with industry is also practical for the public.
Additional tips on how to prepare for the document recovery process are at the bottom of this article. But once you're ready to get started, here are some tips on what you need and do:
The 6 important documents you need to recover include:
These documents can be replaced by contacting the appropriate agency below:
Note that if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance, you only need the following information.
If you have the means, you can rent a PO Box at your local post office. You can find, reserve and request a PO Box online.
You will then go to the post office where your mailbox is located with your completed application form and two forms of identification to collect your keys.
For those who do not have access to a post office box, it is recommended that you find a trusted friend or family member to whom replacement documents can be delivered.
You can also forward mail to a temporary location by submitting an official Mail Forwarding Change of Address order online or completing PS Form 3575 (COA) available at any post office. Performing this process online requires verification of your identity with a valid credit or debit card; you will be charged a $1.10 service fee.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration were at the UCLA Research Park (formerly known as the Westside Pavilion) and the Pasadena City College Community Education Center on Tuesday for disaster recovery efforts for the city of Los Angeles. Center unveiled.
Officials from all state agencies including the DMV, Department of Social Services, Franchise Tax Board, Department of Insurance, State Licensing Board, Public Health Vital Records, and others are available to help you with record replacement and other disaster-related assistance.
The location of the Disaster Recovery Center is:
Both centers are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jorge said there is no standard timeline for how long it will take to mail each replacement document. But agencies are reportedly prioritizing expediting those requests.
The process starts with asking for help as you begin to recover the necessary documents.
"It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, but I think everyone has to really listen to themselves," Jorge said. "Everyone is going through some level of grief, they've lost their homes, the schools their kids went to, memories, tangible objects, all of those things."
If you need mental health support before starting the recovery and rebuilding process, there are a number of ways to get in touch with your support network.
"This is going to be a long road and we don't want anyone to be alone on this journey," Jorge said.
There's no right time to start the process; however, she says, it's better to start sooner rather than later.