|PIC1|The Salvation Army's response to emergencies in London will be greatly enhanced by the gift of a new emergency response unit purchased with a $96,000 (around £48,000) donation from FedEx.

The unit, handed over in London's Leicester Square on Friday, is part of an 11-vehicle worldwide donation from FedEx to The Salvation Army's World Services Organisation (SAWSO).

The donation reflects a wider FedEx commitment to the international work of The Salvation Army Emergency and Disaster Response Services. FedEx has already donated Emergency Services Response Units to The Salvation Army in five US cities and Puerto Rico and is helping the charity deploy units in Mexico City, Sydney in Australia, Winnipeg in Canada and New Orleans during the course of this year.

The new London Emergency Services Response Unit, which carries both FedEx and Salvation Army logos, becomes part of a fleet of 26 purpose-built Salvation Army mobile units across Great Britain.

It will be one of three units within the Greater London area available for use by the London Fire Brigade and other emergency services to cover emergencies in the capital.

"The Salvation Army is grateful to FedEx for the generous donation of this state-of-the-art unit, which will help our dedicated team of trained staff and volunteers provide practical, emotional and pastoral support to the emergency services and others caught up in major incidents," said Major Muriel McClenahan OBE, The Salvation Army's Emergency Services Officer for the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

"The unit's day-to-day work will be to service the west London area, and it will also be available to help in any large emergency in the capital. The Salvation Army is honoured to have an integral role in responding to major incidents across the UK, and this new vehicle will enhance our response and service to those we are called to serve.'

Adam Psarianos, vice president, Operations, FedEx Express Northern Europe, said, 'FedEx is known for making critical deliveries where and when it counts. With our industry-leading expertise in logistics, we know what it takes to help organisations like The Salvation Army deliver to those in need, across the country and around the globe."

The new Salvation Army response vehicle serves its first refreshments
Major McClenahan received an OBE in 2006 for the significant role she played after the July 7 attacks on the capital.

With a background in emergency planning, Major McClenahan co-wrote London's Mass Fatality Plan, which enabled the emergency services and voluntary sectors to react quickly to help victims of the bombings.

Within 24 hours of the attacks, a temporary mortuary and a Family Assistance Centre had been set up. Major McClenahan was also closely involved in the rapid setting up of the family assistance centre - the first in the UK.

In addition to the Disaster Response Units, FedEx Corp has also made a grant to SAWSO for the training of emergency response personnel worldwide. SAWSO is the international arm of The Salvation Army in the United States and its Prepare to Respond to Emergencies - Planning And Readiness Education (PREPARE) curriculum is designed to standardise disaster training for Salvation Army units and their communities outside the US and Canada. The training programme will increase in-country capacity to respond to emergencies and disasters.



[Re-printed in Christian Today with the kind permission of The Salvation Army]