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.