By Troy Turner
Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery is playing a major role as a FEMA staging area for tons of supplies making their way to disaster sites left behind in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Federal disaster aid is being distributed in hard-hit communities throughout the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.
Also, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday ordered a National Guard special support team to help in recovery efforts. The team, which is being dispatched to North Carolina, consists of airmen from around the state who serve on a Fatality Search and Recovery Team, along with a chaplain.
Meanwhile, Air Force and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials confirmed that Maxwell Air Force Base remains an active staging area for relief efforts. FEMA set up its incident support base there in coordination with the 42nd Air Base Wing.
“The situation is very fluid,” a FEMA spokesman said Tuesday. “Supplies and equipment continue to flow into Maxwell Air Force Base to be distributed as needed. We continue to coordinate with the affected states for any additional requests.”
FEMA employees prior to Helene’s landfall began pre-staging equipment and life-sustaining commodities for distribution, with more than 450 trucks loaded with essential supplies such as meals, water, cots and generators on site at Maxwell before the storm moved inland.
“Maxwell has a vast airfield capable of supporting hundreds of trucks and equipment while also continuing air operations,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ara Bartemes, Operations Support Squadron commander. “It’s great to work with our federal partners from FEMA and the U.S. Army of Corps Engineers. We’re always ready to support them when needed.”
Supplies were shipped from the Atlanta Distribution Center to enable pre-positioning and quick distribution after Helene’s landfall.
“The key to a successful response to a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene is preparation,” said Author Manning, FEMA staging lead. “By pre-positioning these supplies at a strategic location like Maxwell, we can quickly distribute them to the areas that need them most.”
FEMA’s mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, he said.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but we have people who really enjoy helping people,” Manning said. “Our priority is to support state requests for commodities and resources to help keep their residents and communities safe.”
Senior Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger, 42d Air Base Wing, Public Affairs, contributed to this report.
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