***PHOTOS AND VIDEO available HERE
The Rapid Relief Team has wrapped up its massive operation in Queensland and New South Wales, after 12 days of supporting communities and emergency service crews before, during and after Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
RRT volunteers have been filling and distributing sandbags, cooking and serving meals to State Emergency Services crews, and handing out food for residents at evacuation centres, in areas including Brisbane, Caboolture, Ipswich, Nambour, Maryborough, Gympie, Toowoomba, Warwick, Armidale, Maitland and Newcastle.
RRT AU Operations Manager, Michael Dunn said they were first called up to help support sandbagging efforts in Queensland on Monday 3 March, bringing in RRT’s specialised sandbagging machines.
“RRT volunteers were on the ground in Queensland straight after we got the call for help, because councils were inundated with demands for sandbags as residents prepared for the worst-case scenario,” Michael said.
“They were also cooking up thousands of meals to make sure SES crews and other frontline workers were well-fed as they were busy dealing with rain bombs, flash-flooding and other wild weather brought on by Alfred. As families were forced to flee for safety, RRT also provided meals and snacks at evacuation centres.
“We are thankful for our RRT volunteers as well as all emergency service workers, and we are also in awe of all communities in cyclone-affected areas, for their spirit, determination and resilience during what has been a trying time.”
In total, RRT has donated 3,650 meals, 4,060 Frontline Snack Packs, and 33,500 sandbags during its response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
As the charitable arm of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, RRT supports frontline workers and emergency services by providing food, donations and other resources, as well as hosting events for the community.
Established in 2013 to assist emergency services in times of disaster and crisis by providing meals and other support, it’s expanded to more than 16,000 volunteers and provides support to the community through charitable donations and events. For more information on RRT, please go to www.rrtglobal.org/.
RRT ALFRED TIMELINE
3 March: Volunteers began working alongside Brisbane City Council, and by midnight had filled 5,000 sandbags.
4 March: RRT served 60 meals to SES Caloundra teams at the sandbagging depot.
5 March: Volunteers worked with Brisbane Council to fill 6,000 sandbags and distributed 100 Snack Packs to locals. A second sandbagging machine was sent to Redlands City Council from Sydney, producing 2,000 bags. RRT Nambour served meals to SES Caloundra. RRT was on standby to assist at evacuation centres in Moreton Bay.
6 March: Brisbane, Caboolture and Ipswich teams were supporting SES crews. They filled over 12,000 RRT sandbags for locals in Redland Bay and Newmarket. In Penrith, NSW, volunteers packed 2,000 Frontline Snack Packs and sent them to Queensland along with a BBQ Trailer and necessities like blankets. Caboolture volunteers served 360 meals at Moreton Bay Council Evacuation Centres. Nambour volunteers continued serving meals and distributed an additional 2,000 sandbags at SES Caloundra.
7 March: RRT Armidale, Maitland and Newcastle team served 250 meals to SES crews in Glen Innes as well as 400 Frontline Snack Packs. Caboolture volunteers served another 430 meals at Moreton Bay Council Evacuation Centres.
8 March: Caboolture volunteers served 565 meals at Moreton Bay Council Evacuation Centres. Brisbane teams delivered over 200 Frontline Snack Packs to Redlands Council.
9 March: Maryborough volunteers fed SES crews in Hervey Bay as flash flooding hit. 160 Frontline Snack Packs were delivered to SES crews, QLD Fire Department, Fraser Coast Regional Council and QLD Police teams. Caboolture volunteers served 480 meals at Moreton Bay Council Evacuation Centres. Brisbane teams delivered over 300 Frontline Snack Packs to the Redlands area, 100 to RFS Mudgerabah and 100 to VRA Tweed Heads
10 March: Brisbane volunteers served 300 meals to the RFS in Mudgeeraba, as well as 450 meals and 500 Frontline Snack Packs to SES in Redlands. Ipswich volunteers donated 460 Frontline Snack Packs to emergency crews and served 180 meals to the QLD Police in Yamanto. Caboolture volunteers served 120 meals to QLD Fire Department.
11 March: RRT responded to a request for meals for Brisbane Police, SES, Ambulance, RFS crews and others over on Russell Island. They served 145 meals, bringing their BBQ trailer by boat. Brisbane volunteers served another 260 meals in Redland City. Ipswich volunteers continued to support the QLD Police in Yamanto with over 250 meals.
12 March: RRT delivered another 100 frontline snack packs to RFS Mudgeeraba. Brisbane volunteers went door to door in the hardest hit area in the Redlands delivering around 20 Emergency Care Buckets to residents without power.
13 March: RRT answered a call from the Community Centre in Thornlands to deliver over 100 bottles of water and Frontline Snack Packs to distribute to over 100 cyclone affected persons who were queuing to access various methods of support.
Contact details:
Media enquiries: Katie Kimberley 0417 467 215