TFUS01: ACCEPTANCE OF AUSTRIAN ASSISTANCE OFFER FOR

UNCLAS VIENNA 003017

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND KATRINA TF
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/OFDA
DHS FOR FEMA/OIA AND OPS CENTER - PASS KATRINA TF
JOINT STAFF FOR J-5/EUR - CDR SQUIRES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AEMR EAID PREL PGOV ASEC MARR AMGT US AU
SUBJECT: TFUS01: ACCEPTANCE OF AUSTRIAN ASSISTANCE OFFER FOR
HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF

REF: SECSTATE ******


1. Ambassador and Embassy officers will convey acceptance
of Austrian offer for 500 tarps and 300 camp beds
immediately to senior Austrian officials per reftel.


2. For 24-hour contact on assistance and relief operations,
contact the Austrian Federal Alarm Center
("Bundeswarnzentrale"):
Address: Federal Ministry of the Interior, A-1014 Vienna,
Minoritenplatz 9, Postfach/P.O. Box 100;
Tel. 43 1 53126 ext. 3800
Fax: 43 1 535 63 64
Email: fac@aon.at; or
bwz-journal@bmi.gv.at;


3. Post's point of contact for this offer of assistance:
Major General Gerhard Sulz, Federal Ministry of the
Interior, Head of Department II/4 (National Crisis
Management)
Address: Minoritenplatz 9, Postfach/P.O. Box 100
1014 Vienna, Austria
Tel. 43 1 53126 ext. 3247
Fax: 43 1 53126 ext. 3476
Email: Gerhard.Sulz@bmi.gv.at


4. Equipment accepted:

-- 500 tarps/plastic sheeting 10m x 4 m, thickness 2 mm,
stored on 5 euro pallets; weight: 2,500 kg;

-- 300 camp beds; weight: 1,500 kg; stored on 10 euro
pallets.

According to the Austrian Interior Ministry, the
equipment is worth approximately Euro 35,000 (USD
44,000). It is currently stored at the Regional Fire
Brigade of Linz, Upper Austria (approximately two hours
by road west of Vienna). Embassy and Vienna DAO believe
it might be best to ask the GoA to forward the equipment
commercially via Austrian Airlines or United Airlines
passenger planes to CONUS, rather than requesting U.S.
military lift capability.

Post POC on this issue is POL Officer Michael De Tar.
Mr. De Tar can be reached at 00-43-1-328-9013 or 00-43-
664-811-7650.

Brown