PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Various units from the Department of Defense are supporting U.S. Northern Command’s efforts to meet several Requests for Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as it continues to provide relief to areas in Florida most impacted by Hurricane Charley.
USTRANSCOM, following a request from FEMA (the Primary Federal Agency responsible for providing assistance to Florida state and local agencies), approval from the Secretary of Defense, and U.S. Northern Command coordination, is airlifting 40 tractor-trailer loads of FEMA emergency relief supplies via Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft to Lakeland Airport, Fla., from Dobbins AFB, Ga. Additionally, USNORTHCOM meteorologists in Colorado Springs, Colo., continue to work closely with the National Hurricane Center to track the remnant movements of Hurricane Charley as it continues to move north along the East Coast of the United States.
U.S. Northern Command’s Current Operations Group is on 24-hour duty in Colorado Springs, Colo., to facilitate any subsequent requests for assistance that may come from FEMA representatives. A Defense Coordinating Officer and a Defense Coordinating Element are already on the ground in Florida to liaison between U.S. Northern Command, FEMA and the Department of Defense.
DoD assets are employed in support of a Primary Federal Agency [in this case FEMA] only when local and state assets are overwhelmed or exhausted and when DoD assistance is explicitly requested by the lead federal agency. The impact of providing such assistance will not adversely affect military preparedness. Any request for DoD assistance must first be approved by the Secretary of Defense.
DoD support is provided on a reimbursable basis in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Act. USNORTHCOM is the supported unified command for Hurricane Charley.
For more information on USNORTHCOM involvement in national disaster relief efforts in Florida, please contact 1st Lt. Joel Harper, USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, at 719-330-5169.