Tyson Donation To Team Rubicon To Help With Disaster Relief

SPRINGDALE -- An international disaster relief organization will be able to more quickly help disaster victims because of a donation from Tyson Foods.

Tyson on Tuesday donated a 53-foot-long trailer to Team Rubicon, a nonprofit disaster relief organization. The trailer was used for shipping food. The company spent $75,000 to refurbish it, said Krista Cupp, Tyson spokeswoman.

Tyson will provide a driver and a tractor to pull the trailer to disaster sites where they will meet responding Team Rubicon members, Cupp said.

"It really is theirs, but we're going to deploy it for them," she said.

The trailer has two compartments. One section will serve as a command center with desks, shelves, a flat screen television, air conditioning, heat and electrical outlets. The second compartment will be sleeping quarters with two bunk beds and some lockers.

The organization's last relief effort was in Vilonia and Mayflower after the two cities were hit by a tornado in April, said Chad Reynolds, Arkansas director for Team Rubicon. It took them four to five hours to set up their previous command center, which consisted of tents.

Team members were in Vilonia and Mayflower for 10 weeks.

The bad weather didn't stop after the tornado made its way through the cities, Reynolds said. They had to constantly mop the water out of the tents and protect computers from the weather.

Vilonia was "mass chaos" after the tornado hit the city, said Amanda Norwood, assistant city clerk in the Central Arkansas town. A trailer would make it a lot easier and faster for Team Rubicon to start helping people. The mobility of the trailer would also make it easier for the organization to change locations.

"When you pull on site, you can hit the ground running," she said. "It will probably make their jobs 10 times easier."

Norwood also said an indoor command center could help Team Rubicon members strategize without being interrupted by others.

Reynolds explained what the command center will look like when it is deployed. A planning section chief, logistics planning chief, operations chief and incident commander will work in the center. Pertinent information will be posted on boards around the room.

"I don't want anything to happen, but I can't wait to get in it to deploy," he said.

Team Rubicon will partner with Tyson's Meals that Matter upon arrival at a disaster. Tyson will take care of supplying food while Team Rubicon members help with home repairs, debris cleanup and more.

"There's not many things we don't do," Reynolds said.

Team Rubicon was created in 2010 when a small team of veterans went to Haiti to help with disaster relief after the earthquake, Reynolds said. The organization now has about 18,000 members, a director in all 50 states and operates internationally. Most of the members are veterans.