I have been reading about disaster prep for many years now. I am a server at a restaurant and that is my little niche in life. I make incredible money for what I do. I am interested in taking my disaster prep in a new direction now and wanted some advice. At a crisis scene there are hundreds of people working towards the goals of search and rescue, and that has been my goal as well, until now. I wanted to use my profession to its full potential in a disaster so I thought I would start to design a mobile kitchen to feed all the workers/victims. In the event of another 911 attack would an independant food vehicle be allowed to be there? I already have a plan for the foods and supplies as well. I have gone to all the local restaurants in the neighborhood and talked to the persons in charge about making donations in the event something were to happen and almost all of them said they would be more than happy to donate some food items, paper goods and the like. Over the next year or two I could build up quite an inventory of kitchen equipment and food service items using a small budget. I have the experience of cooking in the military(about a years worth of doing it in the field on mess duty) and that helps me with a lot of my thinking. Chime in and let me know what your thoughts are.

A importent thing, is to really investigate the need for such a mobile kitchen. If the red cross or other organisation already have such plans and equipment, than there really isn't a need. If the redcross has limited resources for a similair product, than you might look in to a coorperation with them to a certain point. This prevents people from working against each other and done properly also more efficient.

However keeping such thing private and very local however, will generally make them faster to react, but not as efficient in the long term.

i don't know about Ohio, but in my country you might be able to get subsidy

Recon,
Get in touch with your local 1st responder groups; SAR, Fire, Red Cross etc. Let them know what you want to do; they will most likely embrace what you are trying to do and they will help you find a way to get involved.
When I used to do a little SAR work the local sheriff's department always rolled out a big "chuck wagon" to feed us huge breakfasts and dinners. I'm sure under certain situations your local rescue groups will take advantage of your generousity.

Bill

Most major disaster cooking is done in Mobile Kitchens supplied by the Southern Baptists

They are one of the "VOAD"s Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters

EACH VOAD has their own specialty, and they all have MOUs with each other. For instance, at least around here - Red Cross specalizes in overall management, and in aiding the clients - the Salvation Army specializes in providing services to the First Responders - not to say that BOTH groups don't do both - but while the RD is setting up the shelters, the SA will be feeding the fire crews etc - so they don't duplicate efforts

Thanks for the tip. I will make a bunch of calls tomorrow.

Incident Catering Service did all the food service in NOLA. I was told they got their start doing wildfire catering. 866-328-9111

They did, and they make good grub!

Yes, it was darn good, and the workers were very friendly.

Tips on logistics:
- Handtrucks. Get good ones with the soft, pnuematic tires, not those hard plastic things. If you've ever tried moving a refridgerator on soft ground or up a flight of stairs, you'll know why I say that.

- Lots of real milk crates- big enough to actually hold something, small enough to be managable, easy to inventory and real easy to clean.

A friend of my little brother did something similiar to this for his Eagle Scout project, as far as setting up the equipment. Not sure where the gear and the book of plans went afterwards, either to the state BSA council or to ARC. There were a lot of 55 gallon drums and pierced planking involved, for making stoves that could be run on solid fuel (aka wood), and cinder blocks, but it all worked.

Having some experience with national disasters, I can tell you that emergency agencies need the following items in a hurry:

Tow trucks (you can move just about anything other than the Twin Towers with tow trucks). People get trapped under stuff.

Water

Porta potties

And last but not least, food, then bedding, depending on the nature of the emergency.

In CA the agency in charge on most disasters would be the county sheriff (unless it becomes a NATIONAL DISASTER, in which case all bets are off). If that is the case where you live, I would suggest that you contact that agency, pass out business cards like mad, and really try to get on their good side, so that they will put you on their emergency call-out list...