COAST GUARD AUXILIARY MOBILIZES TO SUPPORT FEMA Auxiliarists assist agency after Hurricane Charley slams into Florida

Members of a specialized U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary unit. G-OCX/D7 Computer Support Group, has been requested to assist in the setup and implementation of FEMAs computers and computer support operation, located in Port Charlotte, FL. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, with over 36,000 volunteers, has over 6,000 of their members living in the 7th Coast Guard District which encompasses South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(PRWEB) August 26, 2004 -- Members of a specialized U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary unit. G-OCX/D7 Computer Support Group, has been requested to assist in the setup and implementation of FEMAs computers and computer support operation, located in Port Charlotte, FL.

The unit was mobilized to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a sister agency in the Department of Homeland Security, as FEMA works to assist in the post-Hurricane Charley recovery process. Greg Burrel, a FEMA Regional Coordinator (Orlando Field Office) made the request.

When Auxiliary advance team members Hal Leahy and Sam DeFazio arrived, they found they had preceded the computer systems. FEMA, utilizing the concept of asset conservation, tasked the advance team to locate land that could accommodate 10,000 mobile homes to be used as temporary shelters for the thousands left homeless in the wake of Hurricane Charley.

Our unpaid Auxiliarists come from all walks of life, from computer specialists, such as this Team, to contractors, educators, lawyers and the medical community. They all band together to assist the Coast Guard, and when able, they band together to assist their fellow government agencies," CDR Kevin Crawley, the Director of Auxiliary (the Coast Guard's Program Manager) for the Seventh Coast Guard District said.

Leahy and DeFazio, along with other team members immediately began both an outreach and a direct search programs for land that would possibly meet FEMAs needs. Members of the team contacted Greg Reith, a Charlotte County surveyor, seeking information that could assist the team in locating potential sites. Luck was on the teams side, as this particular Surveyors office was the local Disaster Recovery Center for the Florida Surveyor and Mapping Society.

To date, a number of sites have been identified by the team. Which site will be ultimately selected is however, not in the operational orders for these particular Auxiliarists. As work continues in the site selection process other team members have mobilized to assist in the primary mission of the G-OCX/D7 Computer Support Groups initial tasking; setting-up and implementing the regional disaster computer center for FEMA.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, with over 36,000 volunteers, has over 6,000 of their members living in the 7th Coast Guard District which encompasses South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Coast Guard does not pay Auxiliarists and they are not covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), as are members of the National Guard and Reserve. They are required to pay for their uniforms, and equipment out of their own funds, but do receive meal and travel stipends when authorized.

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