TFUS01: ACCEPTANCE OF AUSTRIAN ASSISTANCE OFFER FOR

UNCLAS VIENNA 003018

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 167042


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