By Michael Howell
The Roaring Lion Fire has been effectively constrained from moving onto the valley floor and taking any more structures out, the skies have cleared and for a majority of residents in the valley life is moving back towards normal. But not for the people directly or even indirectly affected by the fire.
As Diane Wright, Director of the Red Cross for Montana and Idaho, put it, “There are three phases involved in our disaster efforts: Prepare, Respond, and Recover. We are now in the recovery phase.”
Having closed its emergency evacuation center the Red Cross joined multiple agencies and non-profit organizations last Friday and Saturday to participate in a “One Stop Shop” event at the Disaster Resource Center in Hamilton established at 1285 North 1st Street by the Salvation Army.
“Red Cross is proud to join our statewide and local partners in Hamilton to help the people who were impacted by the wildfire navigate the road to recovery,” said Wright. “Already, this community has pulled together to help their neighbors and the Red Cross and our many partners will continue to be here in the weeks and months to come to help people recover.”
Captain Rob Lawler, Core Officer for the Salvation Army on the scene, said that many of the key agencies and organizations involved in disaster relief were participating. The idea was to bring everybody together under one roof to make it easier for those affected by the fire, no matter what their needs, to find the appropriate aid.
“We may not be able to meet all their needs to the fullest extent, but we can give them a leg up in what, for some, will be long-term efforts at recovery,” said Lawler.
Attending the two-day event were representatives from the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, Disaster and Emergency Services of Montana, Haven House and the Montana Food Bank Network, the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief for Montana, Team Rubicon, 2-1-1 and Ravalli County Public Health, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Human Resource Council and United Way.
Casey Gallagher said that, with the support of the United Way, the Human Resource Council was providing a hot-line number for recovery aid. By calling 2-1-1 or going to the website www.montana211.org people in need of assistance can be matched up with the most appropriate agency, organization or individuals who can meet those needs whether they have to do with food, housing, heating, animal care, daycare, physical or mental health care or emotional support.
Visitors to the One Stop Shop are greeted by Salvation Army workers who register those accepting aid. According to Crystal Hill, Ravalli County Community Resource Coordinator, a needs assessment is performed and people are directed to the best place to get their particular needs met. No computers are used and all the information is stored on paper and kept confidential. A lot of information is available, such as the handy guide for returning to your home after a wildfire, with a checklist of “dos and don’ts” to increase safety.
Caseworkers were available to help people create personal recovery plans, navigate paperwork and insurance, and locate assistance for their specific disaster-caused needs, such as cleanup of ashes, assistance for groceries and medications, and other items or services. Individuals and families can obtain referrals or other longterm recovery services if their families are not eligible for government assistance or if that assistance is inadequate to meet their needs.
A group of veterans from Team Rubicon were also on site offering aid. Team Rubicon is both a disaster relief organization and a veteran focused enterprise. It sees its mission as two-fold, using veterans to improve disaster response while using disasters as an opportunity to serve again. Anne Marie Scott, State Administrator for Team Rubicon, said there were 175 members in the state of Montana. The team has many capabilities based on the military training of its members and can provide workers to do speedy repairs on structures or fencing, sift through debris to rescue valuables and help implement incident command services during fires and floods.
The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief organization was also there. This was the organization that provided the mobile showers for use by evacuees.
Dan Stewart, of the SBC, said that crisis clean-up was one of their specialties and they can provide mini-grants as well as on-the-ground volunteer help in recovery work.
“Our aim is to make people whole in any way possible following a disaster,” said Stewart. “If we don’t have what we need to do that, we will find what we need and get it here.”
DNRC also provides free forestry services to wildfire victims and can help assess the condition of their property following a disaster and provide help and referrals for such things as salvage work, re-forestation, or erosion control.
Anyone who needs any type of immediate assistance can contact the local Red Cross Office or call the Montana Chapter at 1-800-272-6668. Or go to the website: www.montanaredcross.org.
People with agricultural operations that were affected may contact the Natural Resources and Conservation Service at its Bozeman office: 406-587-6811 or the local Farm Service Agency at 406-363-1444. Homeowners with questions about their insurance coverage can contact the State Auditor’s office at 1-800-332-6148 and ask for Policyholder Services. Those who are uninsured can contact the Department of Emergency Services Coordinator at 406-375-6655. Anyone with a business that suffered economic decline due to the fire can fill out the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Worksheet and seek assistance. This aid is available for for-profit businesses. Non-profits do not qualify. Forms may be obtained through the local DES Coordinator at 406-375-6655. Property owners who may be eligible for property tax relief due to damages caused by a disaster can contact the Local Property Assessment Office in Hamilton by calling 406-375-2710. Go to the Montana Department of Revenue website, www.mt.gov/revenue, for information about tax filing extensions. Anyone relieved from work by their employer due to the disaster can contact the local job service about filing for unemployment benefits at 406-363-1822.
Any individual assistance questions can also be answered by Jan Traynor at Montana Disaster and Emergency Services, 406-324-4777.