NEWPORT BEACH : Firefighters Stock Disaster Shelters
If a natural disaster such as an earthquake strikes, displaced residents may use one of three disaster shelters.
But because of budget constraints, the city has been unable to afford the $2,400 it takes to supply each shelter with three days’ worth of food and water for 150 people.
So the Newport Beach Firefighters Assn. last week stepped in to help.
“We saw this as a project in which we can do something good in the community,” said Terry Hoiland, vice president of the Newport Beach Firefighters Assn. “Once we discovered that these supplies were lacking, we decided to help.”
The firefighters association decided to use money from its treasury, which is funded by member dues, to buy the necessary provisions.
Last week, the group presented the supplies, including water drums and preservable wafer bars, to the City Parks, Beaches and Recreation Department. The department is responsible for the maintenance of shelters at the West Newport Community Center, the American Legion Hall on Balboa Peninsula and the Oasis Center in Corona del Mar.
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