Red Cross volunteers from the D.C. area headed to Florida on Thursday morning to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
The volunteers are with the Red Cross’ local chapter: the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region.
The two command vehicles and four volunteers will be positioned in Tallahassee, Florida, for at least two weeks.
“We’ve been asked to take these vehicles down there. We’ll support the vehicles, making sure that they’re fueled up,” said volunteer Richard Kline shortly before leaving the Red Cross warehouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
“If there’s other jobs that need to be done, we’ll be flexible. Could be going out delivering food, could be going out to deliver materials, whatever the job requires. We’re there to help,” Kline said.
The first support vehicle is called “Red Wolf,” which provides specialized capabilities and can be used as a mobile command and control center. It is equipped with a 50-foot extendable mast that can hold both antennas and cameras.
The second command vehicle is designated “Rollin Nolan.”
“It’s a mobile service center,” Kline said. “That’s where the clients can come in, talk with our representatives and then conduct their business.”
It can also be reconfigured as a place for our crews to use as a base of operations.
This is the first time these units have been sent down to Florida for a hurricane.
“The Red Cross brings in volunteers from across the country,” Kline said. “In times of need, we pull in the resources that we need to pull in so that we can support the folks down there.”
Kline and other volunteers will be down in Florida for the next two to three weeks.
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