Tables are set up along the hallway of the old Malibu Courthouse this week, with representatives from local, state, federal and nonprofit agencies there to help residents who suffered losses in the recent fire. Attendees are free to talk to whomever they choose.
Los Angeles County opened two Disaster Assistance Centers (DAC) for residents impacted by the Woolsey Fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills on Saturday, Nov. 17. The move was made in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
One was opened in Agoura Hills at the Hilton Foundation Building, located at 30440 Agoura Road. Another was opened in Malibu at the old Courthouse, located at 23519 W. Civic Center Way.
For residents who need help replacing valuable documents, such as driver licenses, birth certificates and more, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records Office, have personnel at the centers.
To replace driver licenses or identification cards, residents will have to fill out a form available onsite, along with a statement that they are a victim of the Woolsey Fire. In writing the statement, residents will have their fees waived.
Once the form is processed, the replacement ID/driver license will be “mailed in an expedited process” to a temporary mailing address. If the resident does not have an address, the card(s) will be sent to the nearest DMV office.
As for records such as birth/death certificates, residents can receive free replacement copies as long as they fill out forms with the Vital Records office. The staff member at the center will help guide residents through the process and “try to make it as easy as possible,” CDPH representative Jim Clark said.
After signing a sworn statement under penalty of perjury to confirm their identity, the forms are sent to the state office—the process typically takes a maximum of one to two days.
Goods are also available for residents. Masks are free to pick up, but city staff members advised residents to buy their own high quality masks, which are available in hardware stores and online at Amazon. (For further information, see “Staying safe” on page A9.)
For people looking to volunteer, the LA County Department of Animal Care and Control is looking for volunteers in general and for its Equine Response Team.
“There’s different things they can do depending on their comfort and level of experience,” Officer Kennedy, with the Agoura Animal Care Center, said.
Those interested can visit animalcare.lacounty.gov or call 818.991.0071 for more information.
The centers will tentatively be open through Dec. 12.
“It honestly depends on demand,” City of Malibu Public Safety Manager Susan Dueñas said in an email to The Malibu Times.
As for Malibu’s twice-monthly homeless dinners, which—after restarting in September—were scheduled to occur in the courthouse, City of Malibu office assistant Hannah Schiff said, “For now, the homeless dinners are not happening.
“We’re not sure when they will be resumed,” she added.
On Monday, Nov. 19, despite fears of a power outage, the Malibu DAC remained open.
The outage, which was announced by Southern California Edison, was due to transmission line repairs. (However, a number of residents reported having power in eastern Malibu.)
An SCE representative said the outage map on the power company’s website has only general outages. For specific, up-to-date information for your local neighborhood, call disaster support at 800.250.7339.
The full list of agencies and services available for residents at the DAC, as shared by the City of Malibu, is shown to the right.
The center’s hours are as follows:
- Monday-Thursday—1-8 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday—10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
It is closed on Sundays. The DAC will also be closed tomorrow, Nov. 22, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the hours for the Disaster Assistance Center.
