| Updated: 8/28/2012 4:32 pm |
Published: 8/28/2012 4:29 pm
|
Employees with the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Power Planning and Response Team are part of the overall mobilization of core personnel and resources ready to respond to areas in the path of Hurricane Isaac.
The Tulsa District deployed 13 employees as part of the Temporary Emergency Power mission. Most of them are currently at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, two are in Clanton, Ala., getting things ready for the response.
“They are getting the resources ready so that if there is a need for temporary emergency power they will be ready to supply it,” said Keri Stark, emergency management specialist with the Tulsa District USACE Emergency Operations Center.
Officials say following a natural disaster or emergency the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can provide state and local officials with support regarding emergency power needs at critical public facilities in support of FEMA as part of the federal government’s unified national response under the National Response Framework.
The Corps has Emergency Power Planning and Response Teams throughout the country with the capability to deploy and provide support ranging from technical expertise to “turn key” installation of emergency generators at critical public facilities, such as hospitals and shelters.
The Emergency Power PRTs work closely with the 249th Engineer Battalion, who provides technical expertise and performs assessments to determine the generator required at each facility, as well as, the connection materials required at critical public facilities during emergencies.
The Emergency Power PRTs work closely with FEMA, the Department of Energy, local and state entities, and contractors to execute this mission.
