Lab hosts FEMA update meeting Friday for personnel affected by Cerro Grande Fire

Contact: Steve Sandoval, steves@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9206 (00-138)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Oct. 18, 2000 -- The Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory is conducting the eighth in a series of "brown bag" meetings on Friday, Oct. 20, for employees and others affected by the Cerro Grande Fire.

The meeting is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical Area 3. The series is sponsored by the Laboratory’s Ombuds Program Office.

The meetings have been open to the public as Los Alamos continues its recovery from the fire last spring that affected more than 400 Los Alamos families and caused the Laboratory to close for more than two weeks.

On Friday, David de Courcy, director of the Cerro Grande Fire claims program for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will provide an update on fire claims, discuss interim regulations and answer questions from attendees.

Earlier meetings have covered returning to work, environmental concerns, insurance issues, Los Alamos County clean-up efforts and the Cerro Grande fire assistance legislation.

In the first, Tom Locke, director of Los Alamos' Employee Assistance Program addressed coming back to work, coping skills, how co-workers can be supportive and how to let others help.

In the second meeting, representatives from Los Alamos’ Environment, Safety and Health Division talked about the Laboratory’s environmental restoration project efforts, the Emergency Rehabilitation Team and its program to address potential impacts of increased runoff resulting from the fire.

Pete Romero, an independent licensed public adjuster, explained the public adjuster role and process in dealing with disasters in the third meeting.

At the fourth meeting, Veronica Rodriguez, representing U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Dolores Garcia, representing Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., discussed the ramifications of the Cerro Grande fire assistance legislation and answered questions from the audience.

The fifth meeting was a joint presentation of the Ombuds Program Office and Los Alamos County in which Los Alamos County Administrator Joe King and Los Alamos County Community Development Director Kelly Carpenter outlined the county's contract to cleanup the houses and lots destroyed by the Cerro Grande fire.

In the sixth brown bag meeting, representatives from FEMA explained the Cerro Grande Assistance Act and answered questions.

The most recent meeting on Sept. 26 focused on dealing with the impact of the Cerro Grande fire on a day-to-day basis and what to expect, both individually and as a community. Coping strategies, planning methods and resources also were discussed.

The Ombuds Office has videotaped the brown bag sessions and also has a variety of helpful information and resources for fire survivors and managers with questions about fire survivor issues.

For more information, contact Dee Dee McInroy of Los Alamos’ Ombuds Program Office at 665-2837.

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