FEMA Liason on Staten Island:
Grimm taps FEMA for Staten Island hurricane aid; Molinaro sets up Borough Hall command center
By Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Staten Island Advance
on October 30, 2012 at 11:00 PM,
updated October 31, 2012 at 12:53 AM
Rep. Michael Grimm and his staffers have been in "constant contact" with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is looking to get federal help as fast as possible to borough residents slammed by Hurricane Sandy.
Grimm and his staffers have been in "constant contact" with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including taking part in conference calls with the agency, since before the storm hit the area, said Grimm spokeswoman Carol Danko.
"We are already setting up shop, getting procedures in order," said Ms. Danko.
As in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene last year, Ms. Danko said that Grimm's office would serve as a liaison with FEMA "to get information to them about the most devastated areas, to make sure that they know what's happened out here."
She said Grimm's office would look to ensure that Islanders' aid requests get directly to FEMA.
Ms. Danko said Islanders who need help from FEMA can get in touch with Grimm's office through an e-mail address the congressman has set up for especially for the storm: SandyNY13@mail.house.gov.
Borough President James P. Molinaro has set up a Sandy command center at Borough Hall, and is set to meet with Island elected officials on Wednesday morning.
"We have to evaluate what our needs are," Molinaro said, "what information we have. Let's see what we can do. We want to help everybody out."
Molinaro said he'd also spoken to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) about getting aid for the hurricane-wracked Island from FEMA.
"We have to see what kind of help we can get, what people can do," Molinaro said. "We've had enough damage here to justify FEMA being here, including the small businesses that got damaged on the East Shore and the North Shore."
Advance Political Editor Tom Wrobleski writes the Polit Bureau blog. Follow him on Twitter.
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