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Statement by Press Secretary Russ Knocke

Release Date: October 23, 2007

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison will travel to southern California later this morning. They will visit areas impacted by wildfires burning across the state, and observe federal response efforts in support of local officials.

The President issued an emergency disaster declaration on October 22 for California, and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response activities in the affected areas. FEMA has approved seven fire assistance grants in support of local fire-fighting efforts. Among other federal activities underway, a Joint Field Office is being established in Pasadena, Calif. FEMA has opened its Regional Response Coordination Center, operating on a 24/7 basis in support of state response efforts. A FEMA liaison is working from the State Emergency Operations Center in Sacramento, and a federal Emergency Response Team has been identified and staged to deploy as needed.

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This page was last modified on October 23, 2007