AmeriCares Continues Relief Efforts in New York

AmeriCares Foundation
Wednesday, 10 October 2001

AmeriCares Erects Sprung Structures at World Trade Center and Staten Island Landfill

New Canaan, CT – (October 9, 2001) – AmeriCares, the national and international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, continue their around-the-clock relief efforts in New York City and at the Staten Island Landfill. AmeriCares announced today that they have erected nearly 30,000 square feet of Sprung Structures for the relief efforts at the World Trade Center and at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island.

Sprung Structures are stressed membrane structures consisting of a series of aluminum-arched ribs that are connected by modular architectural panels. The structures are extremely durable and maintenance free, and can be easily air conditioned or heated. The structures will be in use for the next several months as the recovery effort continues.

A 3,000 square foot Sprung Structure will serve as emergency storage for the Office of Emergency Management at the World Trade Center site. An additional 30,200 square feet of Sprung Structures will serve as a mess hall, dressing and break area, and debris processing area for the New York City Police Department, Fire Department, Secret Service, NTSB and the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island.

"Thanks to our partnership with Phil Sprung, President of Sprung Structures, AmeriCares was able to provide shelter solutions to the many government agencies involved in the relief and recovery efforts in New York City," stated Robert C. Macauley, Chairman and Founder of AmeriCares. "Finding unconventional methods to serve the unique needs of ordinary people doing extraordinary work is nothing new to AmeriCares."

In the aftermath of the church burnings of the south in 1996, AmeriCares delivered over 38 Sprung Structures to parishes to use as their places of worship. AmeriCares also utilized Sprung Structures in Rwanda in 1994 as field hospitals to treat refugees.

For more information, or to contact AmeriCares Foundation, see their website at: www.americares.org