• Cynthia Fuller

Disaster Personnel Transition Ensures Continuity in Service Delivery

Gonzales, LA (September 13, 2021) On September 10th, The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services underwent a scheduled personnel transition in our response to the devastation across Louisiana after Hurricane Ida. These transitions ensure that our core ministries of food & beverage service and emotional & spiritual care operate at the highest level of diligence. Typical Salvation Army personnel deployments of Incident Command teams and canteen operation crews last 14 days.

The team from The Salvation Army’s Texas Division, led by Alvin Migues, is being replaced by a team from the Arkansas-Oklahoma Division. Laurie Fried will lead the team as the Incident Commander. The Incident Command Team is generally a group of professionals and officers who take on individual roles to oversee that disaster operations continue to run smoothly. These roles oversee operations such as meal preparation, canteen logistics, supply distribution, finance, and more.

Laurie Fried, Director of Emergency Disaster Services for the Arkansas-Oklahoma division, says "The team from Arkansas-Oklahoma is honored to be in Louisiana. We are prepared to work hard and continue the good the Texas team has put in place." Additionally, Fried goes on to state "The staff and volunteers are amazing and are committed carrying out the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army."

As personnel teams’ transition, there is generally a day for each position to shadow the previous person and be briefed on what has occurred to-date and coordinate future service delivery to ensure quality and consistency in emergency disaster services. In Gonzales, the Texas team was the first team to have feet on the ground. The Arkansas-Oklahoma team will continue in its footsteps as The Salvation Army’s response continues to expand its services south toward more of the bayous.

Service will continue in the following communities on Monday, September 13: Golden Meadows, Galliano, Schriever, Chauvin, Cut Off, LaRose, Montegut, Houma, Bayou Blue, Lockport, Albany, Gray, and LaPlace.

The feeding units from Gonzales have served 189,981 meals, 75,232 drinks, and 49,349 snacks with 13,279 emotional and spiritual care contacts. The Salvation Army has served 321,045 meals, 173,393 drinks, 81,440, snacks and 16,055 emotional and spiritual contacts.

To make a financial donation to support ongoing Hurricane Ida relief efforts, to go helpsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. For the latest disaster response information, go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salarmyAOK and www.twitter.com/SalArmyAOKEDS