June 1 2010 RELEASE Salvation Army prepares for hurricane season in Florida

Tampa (June 1, 2010) – The Salvation Army is urging families to get prepared now.
Hurricane forecasters predict that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will have significantly more activity than the average season. Forecasters are estimating 15 named storms, 8 of which may become hurricanes with 4 becoming major hurricanes.
The Salvation Army of Florida wants you to know that we are prepared in case a storm strikes.
In Florida, The Salvation Army has more than 40 mobile feeding units (kitchens on wheels) that are able to deploy within hours of a disaster. The mobile feeding units are fully stocked with food and volunteers, ready to serve survivors and first responders.
Media is invited to tour the Tampa disaster warehouse, 930 E. 139^th Ave., where a full fleet of emergency vehicles are stationed, readying for deployment if needed.
To schedule a tour of the 50,000 square-foot warehouse and the fleet (which includes a field kitchen, satellite communication trucks, shower trailers and a mobile incident command post) call Dulcinea Cuellar, director of public relations for The Salvation Army of Florida at (813) 376-0836.
The Salvation Army is also joining with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local and state emergency management agencies, to urge residents who live in areas susceptible to hurricanes to prepare now.

"Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services has to be a team effort," said Major C. Mark Brown, Community Relations & Development Secretary. "We are ready, trained and equipped to do the most good for any community hit by devastation. This is not just for hurricanes, as our units have already been extremely active this year with tornadoes and floods across the southeastern United States."

The Salvation Army continues to strengthen and enhance its own emergency readiness with training for disaster volunteers, maintaining a fleet of emergency response vehicles, and pre-positioning of critical supplies, such as clean-up kits, in disaster warehouses.

For more information on personal preparedness, The Salvation Army recommends visiting www.greathurricaneblowout.org (sponsored by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) or www.hurricanesafety.org (sponsored by the National Hurricane Survival Initiative).

The Salvation Army’s disaster relief work began in the United States as the result of hurricane response. In 1900, The Salvation Army mobilized to offer food, water, clothing and other basic necessities to the survivors of the great Galveston Hurricane. Since then, The Salvation Army has become one of the most reliable and active providers of disaster relief in the country.
For the latest information follow The Salvation Army Florida division on twitter @salarmyfla or “like” us on facebook by searching Salvation Army Florida Division. 
 
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