Cisco Systemsdonated seven Super Sheltees.North Carolina Emergency Managementstocked each one with 290 folding cots and blankets.
"Rather than being in a warehouse where they have to be packaged, shipped, whatever, we can basically hook up and within two hours support any site in North Carolina," says Joe Montague of theTriangle Area Chapter of the Red Cross.
The Red Cross will put the Sheltees in service as soon as they are needed. Each of the seven units was towed away Thursday and pre-positioned at seven locations around the state.
The Super Sheltees supplement 30 smaller trailer units already in the field.
More than 46,000 people were evacuated during Hurricane Floyd. The new cots will provide a little more comfort.
Each Super Sheltee is valued at about $19,000.
The Emergency Management and Red Cross Web sites will also be accessible this year for wireless Internet devices.
"It's another great way, once the disaster hits and you lose power, to keep in touch with the world and keep in touch with what's going on in your local area," says Joe Freddoso of Cisco Systems.
North Carolina Emergency Management faces the prospect of continuing recovery following Floyd as it prepares for the new hurricane season.
"Our challenge is to take the personnel that are on recovery assignment and keep them there, and at the same time, locate adequate support to respond," says David Kelly, secretary of theNorth Carolina Crime Control and Public Safety. "This is the first time we've had to do that."
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