> Federal Emergency Management Agency
>
> Interview of Michael Beeman
>
> September 14, 2001
>
> \- - -
>
> MR. RATHER: We\'ll go now to Nika
>
> Brzezinski, who is with Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel
> in Manhattan. Nika?
>
> MS. BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, Dan, FEMA is here. I want to bring you back to
> the scene first, though. The rescue effort, as you know, is hampered
> by the rain. It is dangerous. It is treacherous, but they are still at
> it down there, and it really doesn\'t seem like anybody wants to stop
> no matter what.
>
> It\'s day three now in this new video that we have to show you, and
> the rescuers have been working in force. They are tired, they are
> cold, and they are hurting emotionally, but a few plan to stop any
> time soon. The weather is making it dangerous for our volunteers
> there. I spoke to some volunteers earlier who said they were turned
> away from some parts of the scene because it is just too slippery, and
> it is just too dangerous.
>
> Now things are feeling more coordinated, in terms of the rescue effort
> and also the recovery effort. I\'m standing right next to West Street.
> It\'s a major thoroughfare that goes right down to the scene. I\'ve
> been here since this whole disaster happened.
>
> And in a much more methodical fashion, construction trucks, and
> ambulances, and EMTs, and trucks carrying heavy equipment have been
> making their way slowly down West Street and then dropping off their
> materials and then heading back. It\'s almost processionlike, and it
> is endless, and it goes through the night.
>
> Things are more coordinated in that fashion, also more coordinated in
> terms of relief, and I mean specifically federal relief. The Federal
> Emergency Management Agency is on the scene, and they\'re trying to
> get to people to let them know what they can do for them. And I\'m
> joined by Michael Beeman, who is of FEMA. He is the chief of External
> Affairs. And you say there is a lot of money that is ready to go.
>
> MR. BEEMAN: Yeah, there is a lot ready. We\'re ready to help the
> community to start to recover, and that\'s what we really want to do,
> is let people get on with their lives. And what we need to do is get
> them to call to our toll free number, and that starts the registration
> process. After that, it\'s seamless for them. They don\'t do
> paperwork, unless there\'s a requirement for them to get an SBA loan,
> but they just simply will do that teleregistration number, and that
> will start the ball rolling. And there\'s a lot of things that are\--
>
> MS. BRZEZINSKI: You mentioned the phone number. Why don\'t we put that
> up right now. I have it. It\'s 1-800-462-9029, and we can keep that
> up. I\'ll say it, again. 1-800-462-9029. People who are watching are
> wondering if they\'re eligible. Who\'s eligible?
>
> MR. BEEMAN: Well, they shouldn\'t worry about eligibility. They should
> simply call the phone number and tell them that they were in the
> affected area and don\'t worry about eligibility.
>
> MS. BRZEZINSKI: Do you have to live in the affected area or have a
> business there or does it matter?
>
> MR. BEEMAN: Let me cover two things here; One is that by the
> teleregistration, lots of people are in that general area. They have
> been affected. They may have damage to their apartment. They may have
> some sort of medical costs. They may have funeral costs. They may have
> rental assistance where they had to move out of the area because the
> power is off, and we can help them with rental assistance. Another
> category is unemployment. Those people that are in the area that were
> employed by businesses down in here, all they have to do is go to the
> unemployment office, and that is not only people in New York, but New
> Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania.
>
> MS. BRZEZINSKI: And if you\'ve lost everything, you still should call
> and get the ball rolling.
>
> Michael Beeman of FEMA, thank you very much. We appreciate it.