September 9, 2011 4:00am UPDATE

GALVESTON - At least a dozen Galveston area police officers will head to the Bastrop, Texas wildfire area Friday on a special mission that does not require them to be cops.  They are going there on a humanitarium mission to help provide hot meals for firefighters and other responders who have been battling the fires ravaging thousands of acres of land and destroying hundreds of homes.

Officers of the Galveston and Jamaica Beach Police Departments are among the several who will accompany the Lighthouse Charity Team of Friendswood to provide meals for those fighting the fires all over that area of the country.

The Lighthouse Chairity Team is a widely known cooking team, a non-profit organization, which provides equipment and volunteer labor to prepare meals to help raise funds for charitable organizations and those in need.  They have also responded to disaster areas, the latest during Hurricane Ike and before that, Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

Galveston Police Chief Henry Porretto says his officers will be making the trip on their own personal time and their absence will not affect the staffing of the police department during those three days.  Porretto said under perfect conditions he would like to have been able to send a contingent of officers to the area to assist with police duties, but due to budget constraints and a severe shortage of manpower, that was not an option.

Poretto said City Manager Thomas Muehlenbeck did however, approve the use of four city vehicles for the mission, including the police departments light tower and mobile command center.

The mission does need public support in the way of finanical sponsors and donations to cover the travel expences and cost of the food and drinks which will be served from the large mobile facility being provided by the Lighthouse Charity Team.

The mission organizer, Galveston Police Officer Tom Maffei, is asking that businesses or individuals who can help with these expences call him at (281) 734-0931.  Maffei will advise donors on the procedure for remitting the donations so that they will qualify as tax deductible contributions.

Maffei told The Police News this morning, "The numbers have grown in regards to the number of first responders we will be providing meals to. We have received a count of approx. 800 firefighters, police officers and other first responders and we are preparing to be able to supply more then 1000 meals for first responders. They are expecting the arrival of manpower from throughout the nation and we are prepared to supply them also. We will be serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night dinner.

"We will be setting up our major operations in Smithville however we will also be providing meals for two different locations throughout Bastrop. Total of three locations.

"We will be departing Friendswood between 2 and 3 pm, friday.

"We are no longer planning to return on Monday. We are now responding to the area with the intent to stay as long as we are needed. We will be rotating off duty officers, and Light House Charity Team civilian volunteers in and out for as long as needed.

"Expenses have already reached $10,000 and we are still needing donations. We will prove to be a major asset to this area due to the involvement of LightHouse Charity Team."

Visit Lighthouse Charity Team website: http://lighthousecharityteam.com

Breck Porter
www.ThePoliceNews.net