New assistance center opens for Black Forest
El Paso County officials have satisfied a popular request from Black Forest fire victims, that disaster assistance be easier to get.
A new office of the county’s Disaster Assistance Center opened Tuesday near Black Forest at the Classical Academy North next to New Life Church. The center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fire victims can get answers about cleanup, rebuilding, and health-related issues like water testing and tetanus shots. There’s also financial help available.
“There’s some pretty — I won’t say rigid, but there’s some well-defined criteria on who is (eligible to receive) that money,” said Monnie Gore, the county’s deputy administrator. “And there are folks who are not insured or under-insured, and we’re dealing with all of those kinds of situations, too.”
The previous center on Garden of the Gods Road in Colorado Springs closed Friday. Gore said the new center will be a scaled-down version, focusing more on long-term needs and less on immediate needs.
Gore said the new center’s hours may change depending on the level of need.
