Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams: Meeting Survivors Where They Are

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams (DSAT) are in Los Angeles County supporting wildfire survivors by registering them for assistance, identifying immediate needs, providing application updates and providing referrals to additional community resources.

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams

DSAT are crews that go into communities within days, sometimes hours, of a disaster. They often walk through affected areas or convene in small groups at a neighborhood facility.

They are the eyes, ears, and sometimes the voice of FEMA when they visit impacted communities. They are equipped to help residents apply for assistance, even in the toughest conditions.

DSA's mission includes assessing and reporting critical and emerging needs to FEMA leadership for decision-making purposes. Their duties include:

• Providing on-site guidance to survivors about the application process, and an overview of FEMA disaster assistance.
• Reviewing survivors' applications, providing basic information about application status and collecting new information or documents for case files.
• Engaging disaster survivors and local officials in identifying immediate unmet needs that FEMA or partner agencies can help resolve.
• Supporting community outreach and partnerships with local, state, tribal, or territorial emergency managers, disability partners, private sector, voluntary agencies, and faith-based organizations to foster a culture of partnership to support survivors.