National Processing Service Centers
Three national centers perform provide centralized disaster application
service to FEMA customers. Known as National Processing Service Centers
(NPSC's), these centers house an automated "teleregistration"
service-a toll-free phone bank through which disaster victims apply for
Assistance to Individuals and Households-and through which their applications
are processed and their questions answered.
A major advantage of teleregistration is timeliness. Toll-free lines can
be staffed up quickly, even though in catastrophic or multiple disaster
situations there may be busy signals until staff-up is complete. Calls
can normally be taken within hours of the President's declaring a major
disaster. This compares to an average of four or five days to set up a
walk-in application center in affected areas, which had been the traditional
method of intake. The toll-free service is also convenient. There is no
need to take time off from work, arrange for baby sitters, or stand in
lines.
FEMA's service representatives are thoroughly trained. Refresher training
courses, downtime exercises, pre-shift quizzes and program knowledge tests
are part of the continuing education process.
Calls to the phone banks are frequently monitored. Monitors are valuable
assistants in the training process. Service representatives are monitored
at random to ensure that the utmost professionalism is maintained during
calls. Monitors critique telephone etiquette and program knowledge and
score a performance evaluation in the interest of further enhancing the
quality of the telephone interview.
After a call is taken and a disaster application recorded, the processing
of applications begins. FEMA's computer systems enable automatic determination
of eligibility for about 90% of cases requesting housing assistance, usually
within 10 days of application. The other 10% of cases, which may need
documentation of some sort (for example, insurance payment documentation),
may take a little longer. Cases are also automatically considered for
possible grant assistance beyond what he/she can qualify for a disaster
loan from the Small
Business Administration loan program.
The NPSC computer systems are used to record vital caller data, to order
and process inspections, to electronically transmit the data to the numerous
disaster aid providers within minutes, and to answer questions from applicants
via the "helpline." The computer systems also help assure that
each caller is mailed important custom tailored information regarding
the types and nearest sources of various forms of disaster aid specific
to each caller's needs. Finally, the databases provide a variety of statistical
analyses, reporting and tracking services to FEMA and other agencies active
in disaster relief.
NPSC's are located in Denton, TX; Berryville (Mt. Weather), VA: and Hyattsville,
MD. The first national center opened in 1994.
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