Federal Preparations Accelerate For Hurricane Frances
Release Date: September 3, 2004
Release Number: HQ-04-152
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is undertaking extensive preparations, including pre-positioning numerous emergency supplies and assets, in cooperation with state and other federal agencies to respond to Hurricane Frances’ expected landfall Saturday afternoon.
Residents of states in the hurricane’s path are urged to immediately take measures to protect lives and property. It is essential to follow evacuation orders given by local officials, including those currently in effect for the Florida East Coast from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.
While state and local agencies are the first responders in any disaster, FEMA and its partner agencies are prepared with personnel, equipment and supplies to respond to state’s requests for federal help. Voluntary agencies, important partners in disasters, are ready to augment local government services with shelters, mobile feeding units, water and clean-up supplies.
Although the hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida, preparedness measures are also underway in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The FEMA Hurricane Liaison Team reported to the National Hurricane Center in Miami on Wednesday. Federal and state emergency management agencies charged with response activities are holding daily video teleconferences to plan and coordinate Hurricane Frances response.
The advance preparations include:
- FEMA’s National Emergency Operations Center, Emergency Support Team and Region Four Regional Operations Center are operating around the clock, coordinating the pre-positioning of assets and responding to state requests for assistance.
- FEMA has deployed an Advanced Emergency Response Team to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, three rapid needs assessment teams have been pre-deployed to Florida.
- FEMA has deployed an Advanced Emergency Response Team to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, three rapid needs assessment teams have been pre-deployed to Florida.
- An Advanced Emergency Response Team and a Rapid Needs Assessment team have also been deployed to the Georgia State Emergency Operations Center, to provide support as necessary.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at FEMA's request, is coordinating the staging of 100 truckloads of water and 100 truckloads of ice.
- A first shipment of 30,000 tarps is en route to Atlanta, Ga., to be pre-staged for delivery to areas affected by Frances once the storm has cleared.
- FEMA is working to provide 10 trailers of generators at the request of Florida that will be used to provide power to critical facilities affected by the hurricane. Generators will be staged at Warner Robbins Air Force Base.
- Four Urban Search and Rescue Teams on deployed. Two of the teams are based in Florida and the other two are being pre-staged in Atlanta, Ga.
- Four Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) and one Veterinary Medical Assistance Team have been deployed to sites in Georgia and Florida to support medical facilities and hospitals that are not fully operational following the storm. An additional seven teams have been placed on alert, assembling teams and loading equipment in case they are needed. The DMATs comprise doctors, nurses and medical technicians trained to handle trauma, pediatrics, surgery and mental health problems. DMATs bring truckloads of medical equipment and supplies with them.
- Five pharmaceutical caches, containing emergency medical supplies, are being pre-positioned, and are currently en route to Atlanta and Tampa.
- FEMA's Mobile Emergency Response Services communications units are available to provide telephone, radio and video links in support of response and recovery efforts.
- FEMA teleregistration centers are fully staffed and ready to register 20,000 disaster assistance applications for affected residents in declared counties. The Internal Revenue Service is providing additional operators to support FEMA’s teleregistration operations, which are currently operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- FEMA contract inspectors are ready for activation, with surge capability providing for up to 15,000 inspections per day within 14 days of activation. FEMA is working with the General Services Administration to analyze vacancy rates of various safe housing options (including apartments, homes, RVs, time shares, mobile homes, hotels and motels) as part of pre-planning temporary housing strategies for those whose homes are severely damaged or destroyed.
- More than 350 shelter sites identified by the American Red Cross for those displaced by Hurricane Frances.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 03-Sep-2004 10:35:07