Tampa, FL – Hurry up and wait could be the watchword for the day as Hurricane Milton sets its sites on the west coast of Florida.
After days of preparation, the plans have been made, equipment and personnel are in place, and The Salvation Army is ready to respond in the aftermath of the storm.
“This is an anxious time for us now, because there is nothing more we can do, but wait”, says Steven Hartsook, The Salvation Army’s Florida Emergency Disaster Services Director. “We have prepared the best we can, and we know the situation is fluid so we will need to be able to adjust the plan if needed once it is safe to respond.”
Salvation Army mobile feeding units and personnel are in place thoroughout Florida. These units will be able to start feeding operations immediately after the storm with a capacity to serve up to a thousand meals per unit. Also, additional Salvation Army units from out of state are also making their way to Florida to aid in the relief effort.
Plans are in place for large centers of operation, called Base Camps, that will be able to manage a large-scale operation and can cover a larger geographic area. These centers of operation will have a number of mobile feeding units assigned to them as well as other specialized equipment such as bunk houses and shower trailers, storage trailers for supplies, a laundry trailer, and a command center.
One of these base camps will be set up in Lakeland with two additional sites planned for either Pinellas or Hillsborough County and Sarasota County.
Helping to support these operations will be our partner in service the Southern Baptist who with their mobile feeding kitchens will provide hot meals for distribution into effected areas. These kitchens have the capacity to produce up to fifteen thousand meals a day.
The Salvation Army is grateful for the many partners who come along side us during these times and help provide support.
