Vegas Strong center has steady traffic on opening day

The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center saw steady traffic between walk-ins and phone calls on its first day of operation, county officials said.

The facility saw 16 walk-ins and 21 phone calls as of 5 p.m. Monday, Clark County spokeswoman Gina Olivares said.

Center coordinator Teresa Etcheberry said her staff of 10 to 12 people stayed busy throughout the day.

“I’m sure it will increase as word gets out that we are here and ready to assist,” Etcheberry said.

Olivares said the most-requested services at the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center were counseling and financial assistance, including help with medical expenses and lost wages.

Etcheberry said her staff helped others fill out forms to receive personal belongings from the FBI. Thousands of items were left at the Route 91 Harvest festival grounds as concertgoers fled from gunfire. People now have to fill out a questionnaire on the FBI’s website.

The center is at the Lied Ambulatory Care Center, 1524 Pinto Lane, and will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The facility replaced the Family Assistance Center as a longer-term space for people affected by the Oct. 1 shooting to receive referrals to services such as counseling, financial assistance and transportation help.

The Family Assistance Center opened at the Las Vegas Convention Center the day after the shooting and had served 3,600 people as of Oct. 17. The county said data on how many people visited the center in the final three days of operation are still being compiled.

The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center was modeled after resource centers set up after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 and the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, last year. Depending on need, the Las Vegas center could stay open for up to three years, Olivares said.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.