Colorado Springs, CO, July 1, 2012 – The El Paso County Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) served more than 400 residents during its first day of operations. Today, some additional resources have joined the DRC including the El Paso County Attorney’s Office to provide answers to legal questions, Verizon Wireless with a 54 foot mobile communications center offering free Wi-Fi service, computer stations and other communications resources, and North Shore Animal League to house cats and dogs, supply cat and dog food and kitty litter and give safety tips. The center has been established to bring together the resources of multiple non-profit and governmental agencies offering assistance to all El Paso County residents impacted by the Waldo Canyon fire. The county has been working with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Division of Emergency Management to provide a central location where residents can access services ranging from filing insurance claims to grief counseling.
The El Paso County Disaster Recovery Center is located at the former El Paso County Department of Human Services building at 105 North Spruce Street. It is open to citizens from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except the 4-th of July when it will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and Office of Emergency Management is providing assistance in establishing the Disaster Recovery Center. From 30 years of experience in managing disasters, DOLA has learned the value of offering a central location where residents can access their insurance companies and get information from government agencies, non-profit groups and private sector participants including:
- Colorado Office of Emergency Management (DOLA)
- Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department
- Colorado Springs Utilities
- City of Colorado Springs Emergency Management
- AspenPointe (Mental Health Services)
- El Paso County Veterans Services Office
- United Way of the Pikes Peak Region
- Care and Share (Community Food Bank)
- Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, USAA, Safeco, American Family, AAA, Traveler’s, Liberty Mutual and many other Insurance Companies
- Peak Vista (Community Health)
- SET Health Services
- Red Cross of the Pikes Peak Region
- CSU Extension Service
- Colorado Division of Insurance
- Verizon Wireless
- Century Link
- BlySky Restoration
- Liberty Mutual Reconstruction Team
- Pikes Peak Association of Realtors
- CRS Temporary Housing
- Cisco
- AT&T
- El Paso County Attorney
- North Shore Animal League of America
The El Paso County Disaster Recovery Center is focused on providing services on person to person basis but residents can also call the center at 444-8300 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except the 4-th of July when the center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Waldo Canyon Information Center Phones
(719) 520-7058
(720) 202-4510
(710) 402-7935
(720) 237-3417
(720) 237-9947
Contact: Dave Rose
Public Information Officer
Phone: 520-6540 Cell: 337-9239
DaveRose@elpasoco.com