Mar 2, 2021
Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Forest Service’s Green Incident Management Team (IMT) will begin travel back to Florida after completing their mission to support Texans impacted by the recent winter storm. The Green IMT began their assignment 12 days ago after receiving deployment orders to operate a Resource Staging Area (RSA) at Randolph Air Force Base Auxiliary Airport near San Antonio. The team’s mission was to coordinate the dispatch of trucks carrying water and meals to residents in need in over 100 Texas counties. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried authorized the IMT’s deployment on February 19.
FINAL TOTALS: With more accurate inventory tracking, and in collaboration with Texas A&M Forest Service, the Texas Department of Emergency Management, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 282 trucks of water containing 4,794 pallets totaling 383,520 cases equaling 9,204,480 bottles of water have been sent out from the RSA. 104 trucks of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) containing 4,794 pallets totaling 198,016 cases equaling 2,376,192 meals have also been sent out. To date, 76 counties throughout Texas have received water and 41 counties have received MRE’s. A total of 80 counties have received either water or food from the RSA relief with multiple counties receiving both water and food. The 24-hour operation of the RSA supplies FEMA trucks with loads of water and MRE’s to deliver to counties throughout Texas.
“We welcomed the opportunity to continue our seamless working relationship with our partner the Texas A&M Forest Service,” said Incident Commander Bryce Thomas. “I am exceptionally proud of the hard work and dedication the Green Team demonstrated on this assignment. It was an honor for us to be able to help the citizens of Texas. ”
“In times of great need we come together to support our fellow Americans, be they from Florida, Texas, or elsewhere. We were proud to deploy the hardworking men and women of our Florida Forest Service to help get 9 million bottles of water and 2 million meals to communities in need, while keeping emergency responders stay safe from COVID-19,” said Commissioner Nikki Fried. “Thank you to our Green Incident Management Team and to agency partners from across the country for continuing to help Texans recover from this devastating natural disaster.”
