This plan is meant to streamline, and make infinitely more efficient and cost effective, a major portion of the Disaster Individual Assistance program as it relates to that group of citizens most at risk following a disaster, the aged.  There are, as of 2010, over 50 million old age and disabled Social Security recipients in the United States.  The Social Security Master Beneficiary Record is a complete database with all of the necessary contact information, even in most cases bank account numbers for direct deposit, including accurate addresses for eligibility requirements.

We believe that under the Stafford Act, it should be possible to merge the disaster assistance efforts of FEMA with that database of the Social Security Department to allow for expedited “individual assistance” to Social Security recipients directly affected by a major disaster.  This could be accomplished by a coded emergency disaster assistance card given to Social Security recipients to be activated by FEMA in the event of a declared disaster in their community. Assistance funds can be deposited directly into their bank accounts, but most importantly, it has the effect of removing entirely the mind numbing task for elderly persons to register for assistance. They are already “in the system” The first time that the card is scanned FEMA would have a means to immediately locate and identify the individual. This information could be relayed to worried relatives on the FEMA website.

To further speed up assistance, the “SSI group” should stand on its own under the IA program umbrella. Because of the urgency regarding the needs of this group, it should be separate from the other applicants with its own cadre of contract inspectors. Under currents condition, the aged and disabled are thrown in the same line with younger, more able citizens and many times are “lost in the shuffle” with no one to advance their case. This program would give priority to the “at risk community” and additionally help to lessen the load and speed up the process for everyone else.

A bonus to the initial Safety Assessment inspectors is that technology is currently available for them, as well all first responders, to use their cell phones as a hand held card scanner. They would scan the individual’s card into the IA database relaying information that not only has this person been located and is safe, but they could also enter relevant physical and structural property damage condition to prioritize the order of disaster assistance inspections to be done by PaRR and PB

This Disaster Relief card could eventually be expanded to include every family in the United States to be used in the event of an emergency. Scanned into first responder cell phones and depending on the information in the data base, such as resident address, owner or renter, number of occupants, social security numbers, special needs, etc, it may be possible to make the FEMA disaster assistance 800 number a distant memory for not only seniors but everyone…

The image used is a watercolor painting called "Here's Looking at You" A tribute to 9-11.

A Manhattan to Manhattan… by Rob Beilby, Artist "This watercolor was done for my wife, a United Airlines Flight Attendant, to respectfully commemorate September 11, 2001. It is meant as a loving toast to the fallen. The prospective is from an interior window table at the famous “Windows on The World” restaurant, a top the twin towers."

The genesis of DHS, the painting is registered with the Library of Congress