Industry asked to support tornado victims

LANCASTER, Pa.—Patrick Egan, president of Select Security, is urging industry members to help victims of the Oklahoma tornado by donating to a nonprofit organization that aids disaster victims.

“As you all are aware, there was a massive tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma on Monday,” Egan said in a plea for help he released this week. “The [First] Response Team of America [is] currently on site and assisting with the cleanup efforts. We are looking to support them in their efforts and they are in need of donations for fuel, hotels and food.”

Select Security and the First Response Team of America are both based here. Egan is on the board of the organization, which uses specialized equipment to do rescue and recovery work around the nation for victims of disasters. Egan's company, Select Security, has provided warehouse and storage space for the nonprofit for the past two years.

The organization won a community service award at the 2011 Honeywell First Alert Professional annual meeting.

On its website, the First Response Team of America describes its work: “We fill the gap between the onset of a disaster and the arrival of traditional relief agencies, when too many communities must fend for themselves because the resources necessary for rescue and recovery‚ equipment, tools and personnel‚ are damaged, inaccessible or unavailable. Our goal is to arrive in the crucial moments following the catastrophe, and our mission is to reduce the time it takes for help to reach those in need‚ so we can join local first responders in saving lives and restoring hope.”

To donate, go to: http://firstresponseteam.org/donations/