First Coast community gears up to help Carolinas as Florence approaches

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A crew with the Salvation Army in Jacksonville joined crews and emergency services from a half-dozen other Florida cities heading to North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence.

Instead of using the disaster canteen, the Salvation Army of Jacksonville's newest response vehicle, the Disaster Response Unit, which is smaller in size and easier to navigate around debris, left Tuesday. The crew is prepared to help feed people who may be displaced by the storm and assist first responders.

"The hurricanes we've had in the last year have helped prepare us to know to get ready in advance and to make sure that all the things that we need on this unit are there," said Maj. Bert Tanner, area commander. "The Salvation Army Northeast Florida stocks it well as we send it up to North Carolina and (are) prepared not only to administer to the physical needs, but emotional and spiritual needs of people in harm's way."

The Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross said it is prepared to send 20 people to help in the Carolinas and other affected areas. Ten volunteers are leaving from Jacksonville on Wednesday and Thursday. One is headed to Georgia, one to Virginia and the rest to North Carolina and South Carolina.

Dozens of other crews throughout northeast Florida will meet in Charlotte Tuesday at a staging area until they are deployed to the areas in need following the storm.

Flagler County Fire Rescue on Tuesday deployed one rescue team and two strike team leaders. They will stage in to Raleigh to assist with hurricane response. 

“Flagler County knows too well how critical the first responders are to residents faced with a hurricane,” said Commission Chair Greg Hansen. “We’re very proud of the men and women who are going to lend their skills and support to those in the path of Hurricane Florence.”

St. Johns County Fire Rescue joined Flagler County Fire Rescue and Clay County Fire Rescue on deployment to the Carolinas. The crews have initially been tasked with assisting in the evacuation of medical patients from hurricane-prone areas.

Also on Tuesday, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) crews left Florida to help restore power to customers affected by Hurricane Florence. The FPL workforce sent to the Carolinas had grown up to 900 by 10 a.m. Thursday. The workers were pre-staging their equipment and preparing for anticipated outages.

On Saturday, JEA will be sending electric crews, consisting of more than 50 workers, and equipment to provide aid to Santee Cooper, the public power provider in South Carolina.

Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, along with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, will hold a blood drive from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the following location:

Memorial Hospital
Education Classroom 4
3627 University Blvd South
Jacksonville, FL 32216

Organizers said they're hosting the community blood drive to ensure there is an ample supply of blood available to help those who will be affected by Hurricane Florence.