NICEVILLE, Fla., Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — When Hurricane Michael tore through the southeastern U.S. last month, it destroyed thousands of homes and left more than 250,000 people without power, water, basic necessities, and strained emergency response resources.  One of the hardest hit areas was the Florida panhandle and its surrounding areas, which are home to a high concentration of military explosive ordnance disposal specialists and their families. Panama City, Fla., is the home of the U.S. Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, and Tyndall Air Force Base is the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force EOD community.  The region is also home to many retired military EOD technicians and members of local civilian bomb squads.

Heeding the call for help, the EOD Warrior Foundation, U.S. Bomb Technician Association, Bomb Technician Memorial Foundation, and International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators joined forces to provide resources to the EOD families directly affected by the storm. “It is a privilege to support such an amazing group of men and women in their time of need.” said Nicole Motsek, executive director of the EOD Warrior Foundation.  “We are truly grateful for our partners – USBTA, BTMF and IABTI – who always answer the call for supporting and sustaining the EOD family.”

Each family received an emergency grant to help cover basic expenses and needs while waiting for insurance and other support services to arrive.  The coalition disbursed nearly $200,000 in emergency grants shortly after the storm, and dozens of additional applications for assistance are being reviewed daily.

“We need your help,” said Motsek. “We are only able to maintain this extraordinary level of support through the generosity of others. Even small donations can go a long way, so please make a secure donation at our website,  http://www.eodwarriorfoundation.org/eod-hurricane-relief.  All donations go directly to supporting families affected by this hurricane.”

About EOD Warrior Foundation

The EOD Warrior Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the EOD family through financial relief, scholarship opportunities, physical, social and emotional support. Learn more and see their fundraising events calendar: http://www.eodwarriorfoundation.org.

About U.S. Bomb Technician Association

The mission of the U.S. Bomb Technician Association is to assemble a community of operators, academics, equipment suppliers and innovators and provide a forum to share resources, ideas and experiences.  The USBTA helps establish a network for collaboration in current and future endeavors that strengthen the community and enhance public safety.  Learn more: www.usbta.us.

About Bomb Technician Memorial Foundation

The Bomb Technician Memorial Foundation honors bomb technicians who have been killed in the line of duty while operating as a public safety bomb technician. Dedicated in 2007 at the Hazardous Devices School, the memorial serves as a constant reminder to all of the sacrifice these brave technicians made for our country and its people.  Learn more: http://www.bombtechmemorial.org.

About International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators

We are the cop on the corner, the firefighter with the smoke-smudged face, the soldier doing humanitarian de-mining, the analyst who examines the pieces of the puzzle and the WMD specialist determining the potential threat posed by our adversaries. We’re also the people who are called upon to eliminate that threat, and we do it every day.  Our membership represents every facet of the first responder community.  The underlying belief of the IABTI is that individuals and organizations can more effectively combat terrorism and criminal activities by uniting their efforts. Learn more: www.iabti.org.

CONTACT:
Nicole Motsek
[email protected]
202.549.0331

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SOURCE EOD Warrior Foundation