Based on similar units operated by Samaritan's Purse in the US and Canada, this is the first such unit to be commissioned for use in Australia by any not-for-profit organisation or charity.
The Disaster Relief Unit (DRU) is 17.6 metres long and is hauled by a prime mover to wherever it is needed.
"The Australian Unit was built in the US to our specifications to make ensure it is suitable for Australian conditions," said Kenneth James, Disaster Relief Manager for Samaritan's Purse Australia & New Zealand.
"The DRU has full-time operational staff and the capacity to support up to 80 volunteers on location whenever a disaster strikes. The Unit then becomes the support base for these volunteers who come in after a disaster to help with clean up. The Disaster Relief Unit enables us to be completely self sufficient with generators, its own water supply and tools and equipment all on board," said Kenneth.
"Samaritan's Purse is not a first responder, that's the role of the emergency services who respond immediately with a great deal of resources and skills," he said.
"The help we offer with the Disaster Relief Unit follows the work of the emergency services, once the area has been made safe and complements existing arrangements for recovery," Kenneth said.
"We coordinate with government agencies and enter a disaster zone only when allowed to do so. We often remain deployed for a much longer period, providing assistance that is not part of the work of the first responders. This new Disaster Relief Unit will enable us to do this in a far more efficient way," he said.
Samaritan's Purse has been active in providing support for communities affected by disaster for a number of years.
"Our experience is that often people want to help in disaster zones, but they do not know how. The Disaster Relief Unit will be key in enabling us to coordinate volunteers during the disaster recovery period," Kenneth said.
Samaritan's Purse provided on-the-ground support in King Lake and Marysville, remaining in the area for 18 months following the 2009, Black Saturday Victorian bushfires. They remained in Bundaberg for three months, helping people rebuild after the floods in 2013.
Following the launch, the Disaster Relief Unit will tour the east coast of Australia, visiting towns and communities in NSW, VIC, SA and QLD.
For information on the tour itinerary and to see a video of the new Disaster Relief Unit, go to www.samaritanspurse.org.au.