MIAMI CBS4 - FedEx and The Salvation Army have teamed up just in time for Hurricane Season 2007.

Wednesday, the Salvation Army unveiled a new mobile canteen feeding unit that will be used to feed thousands of people in the aftermath of a hurricane and other disasters, both locally and nationwide.

The canteen, one of five donated by FedEx, is the largest in the Salvation Army Fleet.

It's equipped with duel ovens, stove tops, microwaves and reach-in refrigerator and freezer, and has the capacity to cook and heat more than 2,500 meals a day. That's nearly double the feeding capacity of a standard canteen.

The other four donated canteens will be based in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Each vehicle is co-branded with the FedEx and Salvation Army logos and is equipped with the latest equipment and technology to assist disaster response personnel in reacting to emergencies that could include hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires or other scenarios.

The canteens are also outfitted with new GPS tracking devices that let commanders know their exact location at any given time. As part of the gift, FedEx also contributed 1,800 disaster clean-up kits that include mops, brooms, sponges, gloves and cleaning solution.

"Mobile canteens are the backbone of The Salvation Army's disaster response capability," said Major George Hood, national community relations secretary, The Salvation Army. "During Hurricane Katrina and countless other disasters, these units allowed our emergency response personnel to be among the first to reach the site of devastation and immediately begin providing material, physical and emotional comfort for both survivors and first responders. Mobile Feeding Units, like those donated by FedEx, absolutely, positively help ease the unbearable devastation experienced by so many during times of disaster," he said.

With the donation, the Salvation Army Command in Miami will now have two canteens, this being the largest in the national fleet.

It measures 30 feet by 8 feet and can carry a payload of 7,000 pounds. It requires three or four emergency responders to operate and is equipped with two convection ovens and a six-burner stove, two microwave ovens, a 20-kilowatt generator and a 36-inch grill top, among other accessories. The Miami disaster relief unit can feed more than 2,500 persons per day—60 percent more than a typical unit.

"The larger size and enhanced capabilities of this dedicated vehicle are directly related to the significant need that often arises in this region following the devastation of a hurricane," said Major Hood.

Last year along, the Salvation Army Miami Area served more than 183,000 meals and provided lodging to nearly 75,000 people in need.

In addition to the Mobile Feeding Units and support materials, FedEx also made a grant to The Salvation Army World Services Organization SAWSO for the training of emergency response personnel worldwide. SAWSO is the international arm of The Salvation Army in the United States and its Prepare to Respond to Emergencies—Planning And Readiness Education (PREPARE) curriculum, designed to standardize disaster training for Salvation Army units and their communities outside the United States and Canada.

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