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NDRF ships activated to house FEMA workers Hurricane Sandy left a swath of destruction in the New York metropolitan area leaving millions without electricity and some without food, water and shelter. The relief required the housing of hundreds of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) response personnel. The problem was where to house and feed these workers? The solution: National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels. We spoke with Kevin Tokarski, Associate Administrator for National Security, Maritime Administration, about some of the challenges in activating these ships. ML: Which ships were used from National Defense Reserve Fleet to house FEMA personnel who are involved in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts? Kevin Tokarski: Three ships from the National Defense Reserve Fleet are being used to assist in the relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy. Those ships are, in order of assignment, TS Empire State from State University of New York Maritime, Ready Reserve Force’s SS Wright from Baltimore, MD and the TS Kennedy from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. ML: When was it decided to use the NDRF ships to house the workers? KT: Following the storm’s landfall in New Jersey and New York, at the requests of the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA on October 31, The Training Ship Empire State, shown above in a file photo, was one of three National Defense Reserve Force ships activated by the Maritime Administration to house FEMA workers. Photo: Glenn Fitzpatrick 26 MARINE LOG dECEMBER 2012
MARAD activated the TS Empire State, and began making preparations to activate the TS Kennedy and SS Wright for berthing response personnel in the New York area. These mission assignments were to expire in early December; however, FEMA is currently revising these requests to mid/late December to accommodate the needs of the recovery efforts.
challenges included acquiring and keeping enough bed linens and towels available, setting up internet cafe’s, parking for vehicles, making accommodations for K-9 animals, and for some guests climbing into the upper rack or bunk bed configuration that is normally used by young students and marines. But it should be noted that great galley service and hospitality greatly relieved worries.
ML: What were some of the challenges that ML: How many you faced in activatFEMA personing the ships for the Kevin Tokarski, nel were/are being Associate Administrator for National response effort? housed? K T : T h e R e a d y Security, Maritime Administration KT: On November 20, Reserve Force serves a typical day, the TS as a reserve of ships Empire State housed for national defense and national emer- 470 passengers overnight and served gencies, and as such, are expected to 1,079 meals. Aboard the TS Kennedy be fully operational and ready to sail 461 passengers were housed overnight within their assigned 5- or 10-day readi- and 957 meals were served and on the ness status. The NDRF schoolships are SS Wright 184 were housed overnight not assigned a readiness status for DOD with 284 meals served. To date, over purposes but generally are available for 17,000 overnight guests and over 31,000 emergency service in less than 10 days meals have been served. after notification. After receiving the request from FEMA all vessels were acti- ML: Are there any plans for a special vated well within expected timelines and Thanksgiving dinner for the FEMA perready to complete their assignments as sonnel? requested. KT: We provided a traditional ThanksChallenges encountered were unique giving dinner and celebration for emerto the mission of berthing FEMA-spon- gency personnel that were aboard the sored response personnel. Some of the ships during the holiday. ML www.marinelog.com