Brooklyn, New York –The Maine Forest Ranger Incident Management Team (ME-IMT) has been mobilized to the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Logistical Staging Area in Brooklyn, NY. They are currently using their expertise in “all- hazard” incident management to assist with the distribution and tracking of items such as generators, fuel and water pumps to key facilities in New York City. These items are desperately needed to maintain emergency power in hospitals and nursing homes and to remove water from areas where generators are stored.

When the ME-IMT arrived on October 31, the New York City OEM staff was exhausted and overwhelmed. They had been working extended shifts to distribute these items to those in need. According to Regional Forest Ranger Jeff Currier (the Maine IMT’s Incident Commander), “This is a desperate situation here and if the tables were turned, I’m certain our friends in New York City would help us.” The Maine IMT has facilitated and helped “fine tune” the New York City OEM’s incident management process at the Logistics Staging Area. IC Currier went on to add, “We have seen a lot of progress in the short time we have been here, but there are still a lot of challenges to help those effected by the storm.”

Many of the residences and businesses near the shoreline are still evacuated due to the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. A major electrical substation was damaged from the storm, but power was expected to be returned throughout Manhattan by Saturday. However, it could be another week or more in suburbs and more distant towns along the coast. Another concern is the lack of gasoline and diesel. More than half of the gas stations are out of fuel due to storm related damage at the refineries and in New York Harbor.

For more information on the Maine Forest Service, go to: www.maineforestservice.gov

For more information on the MFS Forest Rangers, go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/ffchome.htm

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