August 1, 2009 Disaster Staff Card changes.

There have been significant changes in the Disaser Staff Card program that will affect all deployed DSHR members, including:

• a reduction in the amount loaded on the card to $600
• Specific rules regarding reimbursement for personal vehicle expenses to and from the airport in excess of $50 each way
• Specific instructions for members stranded in transit overnight
• Specific instructions regarding reloads
• Limit on total cash withdrawals from the card for the duration of the deployment, even if the card is reloaded: $300
• Clarification that Disaster Staff Card funds are NOT an entitlement and are to be used only for authorized expenses, not to be consided a per diem allowance
• Categories of merchants for which use is prohibited, including Flower Shops, long term parking, Tire Stores, Western Union, other specialty stores not relating to meals and allowable incidentals
• The debit card "Cash Back" feature has been disabled
• "Pay at the Pump" continues to be prohibited. Users are instructed to go inside to pay for gas. Remember to save all gas receipts. They must be turned in at outprocessing or when requesting a reload.
• Funds remaining and not used for authorized expenses MUST be returned at the time of Out Processing. Be prepared to provide reimbursement with a money order or personal check if sufficient cash is not available.
• Please review the Disaster Staff Card Brochure and the Disaster Staff Card Critical Information documents located in the Document Library (Deployment Documents section) for additional details. You will be held accountable for this information.