A chartered Pacific Air Cargo’s B474-400F will airlift supplies from Hawaii’s Diamond Head facility to Guam, according to Paul Skellon, PAC’s director of communications.
Days after Typhoon Mawar hit Guam, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending emergency supplies and representatives of non-profits organisations to provide relief to the U.S. Pacific territory.
The aircraft will depart today carrying large generators with ancillary cables and gas containers that are staged for emergencies in Hawaii, American Samoa and Guam, Skellon said. Another FEMA-chartered plane flew volunteers from members of the Hawaii chapter of Voluntary Organisations Active in Disaster, including the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities Hawaii, to Guam on Friday.
According to Matthew Wells, regional director of communications at the Hawaii Red Cross, many mainland volunteers and staff members of the American Red Cross also stopped in Honolulu for a screening process that involves a debriefing of “cultural competency” and “service delivery” before heading to Guam.
Victor Leonardi, divisional director of emergency services and safety for The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division, said that once they land, they will evaluate which areas are most vulnerable and create their plans of assistance based on what is needed, such as providing financial assistance and cleaning flooded areas. According to Leonardi, the Salvation Army’s priority is providing food and water to anyone who needs it.
