Marianna, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2018) – Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, has launched an operation in Marianna, Jackson County, Fla. to assist in ongoing hurricane response and recovery efforts. Operations began on Sunday, October 14 and are anticipated to last 35 days.
Working in conjunction with state and local authorities, Team Rubicon volunteers are providing damage assessments, debris removal, spontaneous volunteer management, sawyer, and heavy equipment operations – including a task force dedicated to route clearance – helping to speed the recovery and rebuilding of these communities.
Residents affected by Hurricane Michael may request assistance through Crisis Cleanup at 1-800-451-1954. Services requested through Crisis Cleanup are not guaranteed to be completed by Team Rubicon, but volunteers with the organization are manning the hotline and routing requests to partnering relief agencies in the affected area.
“Hurricane Michael was the strongest storm to hit the Florida panhandle in decades,” said Dennis Clancey, Deputy Director of Field Operations at Team Rubicon. “With multiple response operations still ongoing in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Florence, our volunteers have also stepped up to respond to unmet needs in Florida, helping those communities regain access and launch early recovery efforts.”
To date in Florida, Team Rubicon has deployed 121 volunteers that have served 26 families and delivered $85,113.40 in community impact and cost-savings.
Team Rubicon boasts an 85,000-strong, highly skilled volunteer force that helps communities stabilize and recover after a devastating natural disaster. Since its inception following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has responded to 310 disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
Through a strong communications infrastructure supported by our cutting-edge technological solutions, Team Rubicon volunteers efficiently and effectively respond to natural disasters and help families return to their homes as soon as possible. By giving military veteran volunteers the opportunity to continue their service through disaster response, Team Rubicon provides them an avenue to gain a renewed sense of purpose, community, and identity.