More equipment will help force deal with storms and disasters, major general says

BY BILL KACZOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida National Guard is better prepared for hurricanes and other disasters than any time since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, its commanding general said last week during an emergency exercise.

That’s due to a reduction in overseas and out-of-state deployments and an increase in trucks, aircraft and other equipment, said Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett.

In the past year, the number of high-wheeled vehicles, which are vital for traversing flooded areas, has doubled to more than 800.

Emergency exercise held last week
“That’s a lot of highwheeled trucks and it’s new stuff,’’ Burnett said. “We’re ready. I think we’re reliable. I think we have the right equipment.’’

Burnett joined Gov. Charlie Crist and other top state officials for the annual emergency exercise. This year the mock scenario was a flu pandemic.

Out of a total force of nearly 12,000 Florida Army and Air Guard troops, fewer than 1,000 are currently deployed out of state including nearly 400 in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That’s a sharp drop since the disastrous 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons when up to 3,000 Florida guardsmen were deployed.

The Florida Guard had to borrow equipment from other states to help respond to a series of hurricanes those years.

Vehicles now have high-tech gear
Even when Florida troops returned from overseas they left much of their equipment behind, Burnett said.

“Our lowest point was probably in late ’06,’’ he said.

He credited Florida’s two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, with helping the Guard get the new vehicles over the past year. They are equipped with satellite tracking and high-tech communications gear, which has improved the Guard’s disaster response capabilities.

“We know at any time where the trucks are,’’ Burnett said. “We know what’s in those trucks and can send messages back and forth.’’

Disaster response also improved
The Guard also has more than 1,000 Humvees and some large tanker trucks that can deliver fuel to local emergency responders and even civilian gas stations if the need arises.

The aircraft inventory has been increased by adding a second C-23 light cargo plane and getting back some helicopters from overseas. The Guard now has 10 Black Hawk air ambulance and four CH- 47 cargo helicopters and a large C-130 cargo plane.

Disaster response capability also has been improved in the past two years by obtaining 13 portable communications centers. They allow troops to plug into two-way radio systems used by police and other local agencies.