American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2012 – The Department of Defense continues to
flow forces, capabilities, and logistical supplies to the New York/New
Jersey region in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s
response to Hurricane Sandy, DOD officials said.
In addition to the provision of unique engineering equipment and
personnel, officials said, the department is particularly focused on the
distribution of fuel.
Here is today’s update on DOD’s response to Hurricane Sandy as of 9 a.m. EDT:
Today, the Defense Logistics Agency, National Guard, and the New
York/
New Jersey State Police will cooperate in the distribution of more
than 250,000 gallons of fuel to New York/New Jersey residents, first
responders, and emergency vehicles to support the ongoing recovery
effort. This fuel will be distributed evenly at 10 FEMA-identified
distribution points -- five in New York, five in New Jersey -- and
additional fuel will be distributed Sunday, Nov. 4,as needed.
DLA
is meeting FEMA’s requirement for 200,000 gallons of fuel per day and
is increasing current fuel stores through the purchase of 12 million
gallons of gasoline, and 12 million gallons of diesel. DLA is also
filling a 300,000 gallon FEMA order for points of distribution in Egg
Harbor, West Orange, and Freehold, N.J.; and 200,000 gallons to support
three New York/New Jersey airfields. Meanwhile, a DLA vendor has 440,000
gallons of fuel available with 160,000 gallons en route and 100,000
gallons of gasoline on order for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
Despite the resumption of power in Manhattan, DOD remains engaged in
supporting FEMA through the deployment of temporary emergency power
throughout the affected areas. Currently DOD has installed 39 generators
in the New York/New Jersey area, with 322 generators on-hand and 56
more en route.
DOD continues to support FEMA’s request for food
via DLA. Yesterday, more than 1.5 million meals were delivered to FEMA
facilities in West Virginia and today more than 1 million total meals
will be provided at Bennett Field in the borough of Brooklyn in New York
City, and Lakehurst, New Jersey. An additional 1 million meals are
expected to arrive in New York City on Nov. 5.
The National Guard is working at the local, state, and federal level to assist FEMA in their response to this hurricane.
Approximately 7,400 National Guard forces are supporting the governors
of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, and West Virginia. These forces continue to provide
critical assistance to local first responders and FEMA with damage
assessments, route clearance, power generation, fuel distribution,
debris reduction and removal, search and rescue, delivery of essential
equipment and supplies, support at evacuation shelters/first responder
bed-down locations, and the employment of unique engineering
capabilities.
Here are the National Guard highlights over the last 24 hours:
-- New York, with2,811 troops; New Jersey, with 2,054 troops;
Pennsylvania, with 645 troops; West Virginia, with 598 troops; and
Connecticut, with 567 troops currently have the highest number of Guard
members responding to the storm’s aftermath.
-- Eight Army Guard
helicopters from North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia
are providing six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and two CH-47 Chinook
helicopters to assist search-and-rescue movements from Joint Base
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
-- The Air National Guard is
providing several aircraft, including one C-17, from Mississippi; two
C-17s from New York; one C-17 from Alaska; one C-5 from Tennessee; and
three C-5s from West Virginia to support Tanker Airlift Control Center
flying missions. Seven additional C-17s and C-5s will be added.
-- National Guard members continue to clear debris so that local power and transportation teams can restore power to millions.
-- New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and West Virginia Guard forces
are providing power generation to restore essential services.
-- The National Guard Bureau continues to reach across to federal partners to better-coordinate emergency response efforts.
-- The Connecticut National Guard trucked FEMA emergency supplies from
Rentschler Field in East Hartford to affected towns throughout the
state.
-- New York National Guard members continue to go
door-to-door in New York City high rises to deliver food and check on
citizens needing extra assistance.
-- The New York National Guard
is assisting FEMA in delivering one million meals and bottled water to
citizens in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
-- New York National Guard distributed meals-ready-to-eat to residents at a staging area in lower Manhattan.
-- More than 500 New York National Guard members are supporting crews
to repair an electrical grid in Westchester and Rockland counties.
-- New York National Guard members are currently involved in equipment
staging, debris clearance, communications support, transportation,
security and traffic control operations, aerial survey and
reconnaissance, evacuations, and points of distribution.
-- An
aerial port of debarkation for critical power repair assets has been
established at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y.
-- The New Jersey National Guard has rescued more than 3,000 people and 200 pets by searching door to door in flooded areas.
-- The New Jersey National Guard has assisted civil authorities with
establishing shelters in Vineland, Freehold, West Orange, Glen Gardner
and at the Jersey City armory.
-- The New Jersey National Guard
has established three fuel distribution points throughout the state and
is providing mobile fuel support for first responders and vehicles
supporting critical infrastructure.
-- The New Jersey National
Guard’s 21st Civil Support Team has deployed to Brick Township to help
local law enforcement enhance their communications system.
-- The
West Virginia National Guard is rescuing elderly and sick citizens who
are without power in remote parts of the state where snow accumulation
was more than 18 inches.
-- The West Virginia National Guard is delivering critical supplies across 16 counties.
-- West Virginia National Guard assessment teams continue to identify
and assess high risk structures and augment state active duty health and
welfare teams.
-- West Virginia National Guard teams conducted
roof assessments at ten schools, several private businesses and one
senior center.
-- Eight West Virginia National Guard helicopters
and crews flew various missions yesterday to include assessments and
welfare checks on people in areas unreachable by vehicle due to
snowfall.
-- The West Virginia National Guard has 12 power teams,
eight grader teams, six loader dump teams, four chainsaw teams and
three search-and-extraction teams working throughout several counties.
Other DOD Operations:
-- U.S. Transportation Command delivered 61 power restoration vehicles
and 65 technical personnel from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to
Stewart ANGB, N.Y. U.S. Transportation Command is in the process of
delivering 63 power restoration vehicles and 132 technical personnel
from Phoenix, Ariz. to Stewart ANGB, N.Y., and is expected to complete
this mission today.
-- Transcom is scheduled to deliver four vehicles and technical personnel from Seattle, Wash., to Stewart ANGB, N.Y., today.
-- The secretary of defense approved FEMA’s request for DOD to provide
100 engineering teams with high-capacity pumps and personnel to support
FEMA operations.
-- The secretary of defense approved FEMA’s
request for DOD to transport approximately 120 medical personnel to
serve as augmentation for hospitals and nursing homes from various
pick-up locations to Kennedy International Airport in New York. Teams
are now in place.
-- Four medium rotary-wing utility aircraft and
four medium rotary-wing search and air rescue aircraft are staged at
Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., and available for tasking.
-- The
following public health/medical forces are staged at Joint Base
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.: one medical logistics management center
companies/early entry team, two preventive medicine teams, one
veterinarian team.
-- Navy/Marine forces are currently anchored
near Breezy Point, N.Y., in support of U.S. Coast Guard small boat
operations in nearby waterways, recovery efforts in Sandy Hook, N.J.,
and the resumption of normal transit service via the Hoboken Ferry
terminal. They also have the capability to perform refueling operations
and provide forces to the New York/New Jersey area when requested by
civil authorities.
-- The Training Ship (TS) Empire State is in
New York and in use with 266 first responders being berthed and fed. The
TS Kennedy is en route from Massachusetts and is scheduled to arrive on
Nov. 5. The Ready Reserve Fleet Vessel SS Wright is en route from
Baltimore and is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 4.