Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support continues to supply urgently needed items to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the federal government assists people in states affected by Hurricane Sandy.
More than 3 million meals have been delivered and five million more are scheduled for delivery to several FEMA sites by Nov. 7. Fifty-one power generators and 150,000 blankets have arrived at or on their way to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a FEMA staging area in central New Jersey.
"I'm so impressed with the tenacity and urgency our folks are exhibiting in support of hurricane relief efforts,” said DLA Troop Support Acting Commander Navy Rear Adm. Patricia Wolfe. “Troop Support has ready access to so many urgently needed resources like meals, blankets and generators, and we're working with FEMA to bring those to bear to help the tens of thousands of people who really need them."
Wolfe is deployed to the joint base with Joint Task Force Civil Support, the Defense Department entity coordinating DoD support for FEMA recovery efforts. Three more DLA Troop Support personnel are also working with the task force.
DLA Troop Support Subsistence has delivered 500,000 meals to the joint base, 1.5 million to West Virginia and 500,000 to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, N.Y. One million meals are set to arrive at Fort Hamilton, also in Brooklyn, said DLA Troop Support Subsistence Deputy Director Tom Daley.
Vendors are capable of producing 660,000 meals a day within 24 to 48 hours’ notice, and 1.2 million meals a day within 72 to 96 hours’ notice.
Representatives from DLA Troop Support’s subsistence, medical, clothing and textiles, and construction and equipment supply chains have been working in the command and control center 24/7 to fulfill FEMA and U.S. Northern Command requests.
DLA Troop Support Construction and Equipment’s deputy director said every minute counts when providing disaster relief supplies.
“Our team is working to provide supplies as fast as possible,” Anthony D’Ambrosio said. “The time it takes us to fill a generator order can make the difference in how long it takes to get power to people who have been without it for more than a week.”
Jim Catanzaro, a DLA Troop Support Medical tailored vendor logistics specialist, provided sourcing analysis to the Army and the Department of Health and Human Services while working in the CCC during the weekend.
“Responding to contingency operations is what we do best,” Catanzaro said. “Being called into work on Saturday was a small request for the overall support that will be provided.”
With a potential nor’easter threatening New York City Nov. 7, DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles is ready to provide cold and wet weather clothing, said Gary Colello, the supply chain’s customer operations director.