In-person visits with local officials, affected residents and business owners underscore federal government’s commitment and resources for assistance
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This past weekend, U.S. Small Business Administration Associate Administrators Francisco Sánchez Jr. and Han Nguyen, and FEMA Associate Administrator Justin Knighten continued direct engagement with Los Angeles-area disaster survivors, community leaders, and state and local officials to assess damage, share recovery resources, and demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to helping communities recover and rebuild. Their visit further reinforced the federal government’s coordinated response with state and local officials to support recovery efforts. The trip followed the Friday, Jan. 10, visit by SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
Early Saturday, Jan. 11, Sanchez, Nguyen and Knighten attended a briefing with local emergency officials at the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center. While there, they discussed wildfire containment efforts, community needs, and federal-state-local coordination.
Following the L.A. EOC visit, they met with Los Angeles Fire Department Capt, Jennifer Wilcox to discuss wildfire containment efforts, community needs and federal, state, and local coordination.
After meeting with the fire department, Sanchez, Nguyen and Knighten traveled on to the Red Cross Shelter at Pasadena Convention Center where they met with disaster survivors and provided information about FEMA and SBA disaster assistance programs and federal resources available to help those impacted by the wildfires.
They next visited the First AME Zion Church in Pasadena, Calif., where they met with residents and small business owners affected by the wildfires and shared critical information about federal resources available to assist with recovery.
Saturday’s final stop was to survey the burn zones in Altadena, Calif., and assess the wildfire-affected areas and respective damage firsthand. While there, Sanchez, Nguyen and Knighten engaged with local leaders and community members to discuss recovery needs.
On Sunday, Jan. 12, Nguyen and Knighten also surveyed the burn zones in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, continuing their assessment of the wildfire-affected areas and meeting with homeowners to hear their concerns and share information about FEMA and SBA resources for rebuilding and recovery.
Details on SBA’s, FEMA’s and the U.S. government’s recovery efforts can be found online at:
- SBA: https://www.sba.gov/california-wildfires
- FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/california-wildfires
- U.S. government: https://www.usa.gov/california-wildfires
For visit images and follow-up interview requests for SBA Associate Administrators Nguyen or Sanchez, please contact Teddy Lake at theodora.lake@sba.gov.
CONTACT: SBA HQ Press Team U.S. Small Business Administration press_office@sba.gov
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