Those seeking answers to questions about their federal disaster assistance applications came away with mixed results from FEMA representatives at the Vicksburg Convention Center parking lot Wednesday.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency intended for the mobile disaster recovery center, known as a DRC, to serve merely as an information center for those who had basic questions about Katrina-related applications already filed.

&#8220You just get the runaround on the phone,” said Catherine Griffin of Harvey, La.

&#8220We’re doing the small business application for the first time,” said Judy Robinson, 49, of New Orleans, joined by her husband, Mack Robinson, who was among the 45 individuals who showed up Wednesday.

&#8220It’s going real well and steady today,” said Jeff Conley, a FEMA representative accompanying the unit.

Many questions posed to representatives involved rental assistance and items purchased due to power outages.

&#8220I was out of power about a week and bought a generator,” said Taleisha Brown, a Warren County resident who inquired about reimbursing the cost of the purchase.

FEMA policy regarding the purchase of generators and chain saws stipulates that documentation must be produced showing it was purchased between Aug. 27 and Sept. 26 and that electricity was out at the time of the purchase.

Others were trying to track down assistance payments mailed to other addresses and to obtain other needed documentation for insurance and other purposes.

&#8220My check was mailed to Ohio, where I first evacuated,” said Derrick Payne of Harvey.

&#8220All I need is a letter from them to give to my financing company about my car notes,” said Vicksburg resident Susan Grissom.

After a three-hour process of waiting, advising and more waiting, Grissom got her letter.

All mobile and fixed-site DRCs are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. All are closed Sundays.

According to FEMA representatives on site, a mobile DRC will be in operation outside the convention center daily through Saturday and again from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday.

Mobile DRCs will also be available to provide information to registered individuals in Leake County today and Friday, Neshoba County, Monday through Wednesday, and Yazoo County, Wednesday through Nov. 5.

Mississippians who have not applied for individual assistance have until Jan. 11 to do so by calling 1-800-621-3362 or at www.fema.gov.

In other FEMA news, the federal agency issued a release Wednesday announcing the arrival of agents from at least 10 federal agencies to investigate fraud claims in the state.

Reports of fraud can be made anonymously with FEMA’s Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-323-8603 or with the Hurricane Relief Fraud Line at 1-866-720-5721.

Also, the Special Transient Accommodations Program being used by Katrina and Rita evacuees will be transferred from its third-party billing group to FEMA, a release from FEMA said Tuesday.

Wichita, Kan.-based Corporate Lodging Consultants Inc., under a contract with FEMA, will continue to provide accommodations for evacuees through Dec. 1. The program’s end date had been suspended three weeks ago. Hotel and motel stays will continue to be covered through that date, consistent with previous terms and conditions.