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Ford
donates
Transit
emergency
response
vehicle:
Janet
Lawson
(right),
director,
Ford
Motor
Company
Fund,
the
philanthropic
arm of
Ford,
hands
off the
keys to
the new
Ford
Transit
emergency
response
vehicle
to Lt.
Col.
John
Turner
(left),
divisional
commander
for The
Salvation
Army
Eastern
Michigan
Division.
(Ford
Photo) |
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Ford
Motors
donates
customized
transit
van to
support
the
Salvation
Army’s
Disaster
Relief
efforts
DETROIT
– Ford
Motor
Company
is
helping
The
Salvation
Army
better
respond
to
emergencies
in
Southeast
Michigan
with a
customized
Ford
Transit
van.
The
Transit
will
serve as
a
disaster
response
unit as
part of
The
Salvation
Army
Eastern
Michigan
Division
Emergency
Disaster
Services’
canteen
fleet. A
similar
Transit
will be
donated
by Ford
in
Kansas
City.
The
disaster
services
volunteer
team
responds
to calls
for help
from
local
authorities,
and
provides
food,
beverages,
blankets,
clothing,
temporary
shelter,
communications
support,
emergency
lighting,
clean-up
kits and
comfort
to
victims
and
families
of major
disasters.
The team
also
aids
police,
firefighters
and
other
first
responders
at the
emergency
scene.
“Assisting
with
disaster
relief
is an
important
part of
our
mission
to serve
the
communities
where we
live and
work,”
said
Janet
Lawson,
director,
Ford
Motor
Company
Fund,
the
philanthropic
arm of
Ford.
“The
flexibility
of the
Ford
Transit
van
makes it
a great
fit for
The
Salvation
Army’s
emergency
response
fleet.”
Ford has
a long
history
of
supporting
disaster
relief,
as well
as The
Salvation
Army.
The
sleek
design
of the
Ford
Transit
canteen
will
enable
volunteer
responders
to more
easily
maneuver
the
tight
spaces
that
emergency
scenes –
such as
house
fires or
weather-related
situations
– can
sometimes
present.
The 2016
Ford
Transit
350
cargo
van has
a high
roof
that
enables
someone
6 feet,
9 inches
tall to
stand
upright
inside.
Custom
elements
include
emergency
LED
strobe
lighting
in the
grille
and
roof,
plus
sirens
and
external
speakers.
A
generator
and ham
radio
antenna
will
help
keep The
Salvation
Army
Emergency
Disaster
Services
team
connected
during a
disaster.
The
extended-wheelbase
van
offers
more
than 487
cubic
feet of
cargo
space to
house a
custom-installed
two-burner
stovetop,
microwave,
coffeemaker,
refrigerator,
freezer,
sink and
electric
hot
water
heater.
Further
food
service
upfits
include
two
water
tanks, a
water
pump and
countertops.
Food
will be
served
through
a custom
window
with a
fold-out
stainless
steel
shelf
protected
by a
10-foot
awning.
Fully
stocked,
the
Transit
will be
able to
serve
approximately
250
disaster
victims
and
first
responder
personnel.
LED
ceiling
lights
controlled
by four
switches
will
help
improve
interior
visibility
at
disaster
sites.
The
upfits
were
completed
by
Livonia,
Michigan-based
Technosports
Creative.
The
dual-rear-wheel
van is
powered
by an
available
3.5-liter
V6
EcoBoost®
engine.
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