This is some information about the job that I do.
I am the Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army Florida Division. The first disaster The Salvation Army responded to in the United States was in September of 1900 in Galveston Texas by a hurricane that was unnamed in those days that literally destroyed the city of Galveston; 5000 people died and The Salvation Army national commander at that time sent The Salvation Army officers from all over the country to help to bring comfort and counseling and help in any way they could. As a result, the national newspapers published the fact that the Army was there in the field to respond and that was the beginning of The Salvation Army’s disaster work; a mission that truly exemplifies the passage in Matthew 25, “…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me..” vs. 40b KJV. From these beginnings, The Salvation Army, Florida division has developed a strong local based emergency disaster services program. In 1992, southeast Florida was also devastated by a hurricane that set new standards on the way the United States approached disaster preparedness. In a great partnership with the State of Florida, The Salvation Army has expanded its fleet that before Hurricane Andrew consisted of only 13 mobile feeding units to now more than 100 pieces of emergency disaster response vehicles for field support including 43 mobile feeding canteens. Continually, The Salvation Army Florida division looks to find ways that will better serve the communities in Florida by providing plans of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. With four employees fully dedicated to providing on going training to internal and external volunteers and personnel, the Florida Division leads the way in bringing together families, churches, civic groups, small businesses, and other disaster relief organizations to be better prepared which will in turn, lessen the effects of another major disaster event. We have learned that natural disasters are not the only events that we require attention now and in the years to come. As recently as 9/11/01, The Salvation Army Florida Division was called upon to bring its two 48 ft Mobile Kitchen Trailers with capacities exceeding twenty thousand meals a day; one to the Pentagon and the other to establish the foundation for the entire feeding operation at Ground Zero. With more than 80 Florida Division Disaster Emergency Response Team members sent to aid in the relief efforts at both locations, the results of on-going training and dedication to disaster response preparedness was evident to those we met across the country. “Christianity with its Sleeves Rolled Up” has become a slogan in the Florida Division Emergency Disaster Services Program with a practical statement of “offering the comforts” that embraces our mission. Whether it is the material comfort of furniture assistance or additional clothing; physical comfort of a hot cup of coffee and a warm bowl of soup; or our focus of providing spiritual comfort to those who need it most, our DERTeams continually strive to provide the great expression of faith directed in Matthew 25. The Florida Division continues to be a leader in responding, whether it is a local incident or a major disaster. Staff and volunteers are often the first on the scene and the last to depart, honoring a century-old commitment to serve those in need, at the time of need, and at the place of need. I have posted below several pictures that you may or may not have envisioned The Salvation Army to be involved.
Check out this picture of the relief work in New York and some recent statisics of The Salvation Army Services there.
The following two pictures are just a sample of the mobile feeding units that The Salvation Army has to help in assisting disaster victims with life sustaining needs such as a hot cup of coffee and a warm meal.
CLICK ON EITHER OF THE ABOVE PICTURES FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR EQUIPMENT IN THE FLORIDA DIVISION!
One area we are desperately in need of is volunteers. Due to the above mentioning of the massive spectrum of services of The Salvation Army, we do not have the amount of training resources that other agencies have. However, we rely on the generosity of the people during disasters to aid in relief efforts. We also rely on God to help us get through the rough times. This sets us apart from other agencies. It is imperative that you know that the Salvation Army does all its work as is directed in our mission statement: "...to meet human needs in His name without discrimination." I truly believe that we are doing so and by His grace we shall succeed.
If you are interested in more information about The Salvation Army Disaster Services contact your local Corps (named for our quasi-military structure) which can be found in the phonebook or contact us at 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
