My first national deployment... Week 2

Week 2...

Monday (April 29) was my day off. We got to choose a preferred day off and this was my preferred day since the weather was forecast to be nice. Not all volunteers choose to take their day off but before I left for my deployment I got some tips from volunteers at my local chapter who have gone on national deployments and they all recommend taking your day off if available. It's a great time to step away from the stress of the deployment! Even though we enjoy what we do and helping people is a wonderful thing, it is a stressful event for volunteers too! I chose to spend the morning working on my job search, reviewing emails I have received with job prospects as well as other sources. I try to keep up with my emails daily but that wasn't always possible depending on how busy the day was so I made sure to spend some time catching up before playing on my day off. After a few hours working on the job search I decided to head down to Springfield, Illinois to see the house Abraham Lincoln lived in (and where he was appointed presidential candidate before heading to the white house). It was a beautiful day weather wise and I was glad to spend some time sight seeing.

After the tour of the Lincoln House and doing a self-guided tour through the neighborhood, I headed south to some antique malls. Found some really cool coca-cola stuff but knowing I didn't have room in my suitcase I resisted the urge to buy anything. Monday night several volunteers were getting together for what has become our evening ritual... dinner out. The group decided on Joe's Crab Shack again. I was still in Springfield when I got the call and learned the plan so I was a few minutes late but was able to join up with everyone. Here are a few pics from dinner including a huge turtle sundae which I shared because there was no way I could eat it all! The group pic after might have been best served taken before dinner. We all had protruding tummies in the pic!!!

Tuesday (April 30) I went out with fellow volunteer Donna and a student nurse. This was essentially a PR project. The local college had student nurses come over to the Red Cross and learn a little bit about the Red Cross in general and since their happened to be an active disaster (the flooding) they were able to ride along with some of us going out in the field and learn a little about how the Red Cross helps during a disaster. Donna and I were able to take the student out to some of the flood sites and show him how to do an assessment. He seemed genuinely interested and even filled out what we call a street sheet. Here are some pics from areas we visited.

Here's a pic of fellow chapter volunteer Terrence and I on Terrence's last day. He and I were the only volunteers from the Greater Kansas City Chapter doing Damage Assessment at this disaster. It is possible some volunteers from GKC were working in different areas and I didn't meet them on this trip. 

Tuesday evening we were treated to the Annual Volunteer Banquet. Each chapter does this type of event for their volunteers. It was planned well in advance and since their was a national deployment in Peoria at the time of their banquet they invited those of us in town to help with the disaster to attend which was very generous of them! We were able to tour the Caterpillar Center and participate in the simulation training if we wanted to then finished up with appetizers and a short presentation with the local chapter volunteers. Here are some pics from the Caterpillar tour.

Wednesday (May 1) another volunteer Jerry and I ended up going to Clark County to do damage assessment in a little town called York, Illinois. That local chapter did not have DA technicians and so we made the 3 and half hour drive out there. It took us about 2 hours to assess approximately 20 houses that were affected by the flooding there. The people we met were wonderful! They shared their stories and their concerns that the area has flooded a few times in the last 10 years and that it might be time to move to higher ground. It was sad to hear some of the stories! Pictured below is a kitty called Callie. She was a sweet girl and wanted all sorts of attention from Jerry and I. Once we completed our assessment we headed back to Peoria. We found a small mom and pop restaurant for dinner and arrived back in Peoria around 9 pm which made for a long day!

Thursday (May 2) our group was breaking up as several volunteers who had arrived the week before I did were getting ready to go home. Here is a group pick with most of the DA team before volunteers processed out and headed home that evening. I was on the standby team this day so it was a very quiet day for me and my volunteer partner. My supervisor was one of the volunteers heading home so she completed my evaluation before she left. I am happy to say it was a good one and I am invited to continue on as a DA on national deployments! I hope I represented my chapter well!

Dinner was at Lariat Steakhouse with a big group of DA volunteers so that we could have one last chance to bond and say good bye before the group broke up. After dinner most of us headed to the hotel bar for a celebratory drink before sending volunteers home. Apparently I wasn't being social enough so Dick and Donna stole my phone so that I would TALK to them instead of text on my phone. Brats! :)

Friday (May 3) fellow Kansan and volunteer Bruce and I headed out to finish up some areas along Highway 29 that weren't previously accessible. It was raining again but we were able to get in to the areas that other DA volunteers hadn't previously been able to get in to. We completed that area and then headed to lunch at the River Beach Pub. It was a nice little place and they were very welcoming to us. They thanked us for coming out to volunteer. It's always nice to get a thank you! :)

Upon arriving back at headquarters I took some pics to show what the war room looks like:

                           

This pic is actually from the war room over at the civic center. We had 2 separate headquarters (war rooms).

Saturday (May 4) I headed down to Frederick (Schuyler County) with 2 local red cross volunteers from Peoria. They are new to DA so it was my job to train them before Bruce and I (the only remaining team members from DA) headed home on Sunday. We encountered a closed highway that we weren't aware of so we stopped to ask a local how to get where we needed to go. He was great! He gave us an alternate route and we were able to get to Frederick and complete the assessment that could not be previously completed due to the portions of the highway in Frederick being flooded. We talked to some of the locals in Frederick and heard their stories. Everyone's story is different. I really enjoyed it when we were able to get out of the car and talk to locals directly affected by the flood. On our way back to Peoria we stopped at a little cafe in Rushville, Illinois called Special Touch Cafe. They serve breakfast all day and I had probably one of the best omelets I have ever had! Loved being able to stop at local places and experience the local atmosphere as well as help out the economy a little bit.


Sunday (May 5) was a travel day as I headed Home! Overall it was a great experience but I couldn't wait to get home and snuggle with CJ!

I hope you enjoyed reading my rendition of a national deployment for the Red Cross! Now I better get my butt in gear and get another full time job! Any suggestions???  

My first national deployment for Red Cross

Week 1....

On Saturday April 20, 2013 I got a call from my local Red Cross chapter asking if I was available to go on a national deployment. I had updated my info in the database stating I was available since I had recently resigned from my full-time job but I wasn't really anticipating getting a call. I returned the call and learned that flooding was an issue in several states including Illinois which is where they were asking me to go. Because I didn't have a national identification badge for disaster services I would have to wait until Monday to leave. I have our local DAT badge but volunteers must also have a disaster services badge to go on national deployments.

Monday (April 22) rolled around and I met at the chapter for my instructions, Disaster Services ID badge and tips since it was my first deployment. After about a 30 min debriefing I was off to the airport. Flew out of KCI with no issues in to Chicago. Had a 3 hour lay over in Chicago (had to try the Chicago style hot dog while there!) and then was off to Moline, Illinois. Arrived in Moline and called the disaster services hot line for my instructions on where to go from the airport. Unfortunately the hot line wasn't working properly and I had no instructions. Well... being my first deployment I wasn't sure what to do so I called my local chapter. Did I mention I volunteer for the BEST chapter in the Red Cross??? Becky did a great job of keeping in contact with me while I was trying to contact the Moline chapter for instructions. When it was apparent I wasn't going to be able to get instructions from the hot line Becky spoke with Charlie in DC headquarters who arranged for a rental car for me. I then ventured from the airport to the local chapter in Moline where I was able to find someone and get instructions on what hotel to check in at as well as where to meet in the morning since it was now well in to the evening. Becky and Charlie both checked in with me to verify I had gotten taken care of in regards to hotel and instructions on what to do from the local chapter.

Tuesday morning (April 23) I headed over to the Moline Red Cross chapter where I learned I wasn't needed. The preliminary assessment had already been completed. The water wouldn't be receding for days and therefore Disaster Assessment couldn't start the assessment for a few days. The DA supervisor got on the phone and found out that the Peoria chapter needed more DA's so off I went with another volunteer to Peoria which was about an hour and a half away. We stopped for lunch and arrived early afternoon in Peoria where we learned they weren't expecting us. Not exactly how I thought my first national deployment would go! Peoria would need our help though so we in-processed and got our instructions. I got a brief tutorial on the paperwork and a copy of the DA manual and then headed for the hotel for the night. Upon arrival at the hotel we learned that the hotel was overbooked and they were sending us to a different hotel. We ended up at Stoney Creek Inn which is actually a nice hotel. The flood waters were just at the edge of the hotel but there was no threat that the hotel would flood so that would be my residence for the next few days. A group of us then met at the local Italian restaurant around the corner for dinner. It was nice to sit down for a meal and hear what other volunteers were doing on this trip. We ate with volunteers from bulk distribution so I got to learn a little about what they do on national disaster relief trips (DR's). Some of the operations have to wait for DA to be completed before they can start but bulk was not one of them. They were in full swing as was DA.

Wednesday morning (April 24) I arrived back at the chapter to start a full day of DA. The day started with a debriefing which includes on all hands on deck meeting (all areas of the Red Cross involved in the relief effort) and then a meeting specific for DA. Once debriefed we headed out to find the damaged areas and assess the needs of residents in those areas. Here a few pics from some of the areas we covered:

The water was still pretty high on Wednesday so we really didn't meet many people out and about while we were doing our assessment. We did meet with local Emergency Managers and Police Officers or Fire Fighters in the areas we were assessing. In a disaster it is critical for the different organizations to work together and share information. We often will stop at the local fire or police department in the area we are accessing. They are helpful in providing maps and specific information about areas that are affected as well as roads that are accessible. The Red Cross in turn shares information about damage and how much help area locals might need as well as provide food, shelter and clean up supplies. This was my first full day working in disaster assessment. It was a good day in that I got to do the paperwork and get a feel for what to do on these trips.

Wednesday evening fellow volunteer Bruce and I went to the Barge Burger for dinner. They have incredibly big burgers! Here's the view from the restaurant overlooking the Illinois River:

Thursday morning (April 25) started with another all hands on deck meeting and then the DA meeting and then off we went to do more damage assessment. I headed out with Terrence to the southern counties covered by the Central Illinois chapter of the Red Cross. We followed the Illinois River down and found a couple houses completely submerged by water but most others were just slightly affected (mainly flooding in the basement). The pic below is of a street that is completely submerged. There were supposed to be 3 houses in this area but we were only able to locate one. Maybe when the water recedes the others will become visible.

I went to dinner on my own Thursday night. I got in a quick workout at the hotel and then went to Firehouse Pizza. I watched a little bit of the nfl draft and relaxed for an hour or so. We had just learned that evening that we were all on standby to head south if the levy was breached (there was an area of concern that was being watched closely). I wanted a little time to myself in case we had to go because that meant we would be staying in a shelter for a few days. I had been having hotel issues (4 different hotel rooms in 4 nights) so I was ready for a few minutes to myself plus I now had a roommate. When traveling as a volunteer with the Red Cross for Disaster Relief you are expected to share a room with at least one other person. I was fortunate in that I didn't have a roommate the first 3 nights.

Friday (April 26) started like every other day... with the morning all hands on deck meeting and then the morning DA debriefing before we headed out the door. It was a busy day which was good because I did the majority of the paperwork and really got a good feel for how to DO the assessment and not just how to fill out the paperwork. Volunteers tell me that working a flood is the hardest of the 3 main disasters that the Red Cross deploys to. The assessment is more complicated with floods than tornadoes or fires. Here are a few pics of the flooding we assessed on Friday:

In the afternoon the Red Cross had an ice cream social for a fun activity for the volunteers and staff. I am pretty sure I have gained at least 10 pounds on this trip already!

Dinner on Friday night was at Joe's Crab Shack which has been inaccessible for a few days due to the high water. They were able to put up a temporary bridge to gain access for staff and customers so the restaurant could be re-opened. Here are some pics from right outside Joe's Crab Shack before we went inside:

 Have to share a pic of the sangria I had with dinner!

And a pic of our group:

And a few more pics from outside as we were leaving. First pic is from a river ship cruiser that sits stationary now. Second pic is the temporary bridge leading up to the area where Joe's Crab Shack can be accessed:

Saturday (April 27) was another busy day! We did get to sleep in an extra hour which was nice. One group went east to York, Illinois which is about 3 and a half hours away. I was supposed to go with this group but was bumped for someone else which was fine with me. I stayed behind and went out with another group today to some more local areas. Here are a few more pics. We are seeing people out now who are working on their houses. It's nice to hear their stories and be able to actually meet some of the people we are helping!  For lunch we went to Culver's and I got to try my first butter burger. Not bad...  Oh and I learned today that I should have gone through an orientation when I arrived in Peoria on Tuesday, oops! Oh well, too late now... but I know for next time! :)

We not only got to go in an hour later today but we also got dismissed an hour early which was nice! For dinner on Saturday we went to Agatucci's Restaurant which is known for the best pizza in town. We were not wearing Red Cross clothing or identification but when we were paying for our meals the manager realized we were volunteers. He made an announcement to the patrons in the restaurant (which was packed) and the entire restaurant applauded, said thank you and shook our hands. It was quite a moment and certainly a memory I will cherish! Thank you Peoria for being so welcoming to the Red Cross volunteers!

Sunday (April 28) was a short day. We didn't report in until noon and only went out for a couple of hours to follow up on some areas that were previously inaccessible. Monday was a day off and will be in my next blog entry... Week 2.

Praying for Boston

I'm a runner and a marathoner and Boston is one of the premiere marathons in the world. People from all over qualify for and travel to Boston for this historic race. For many runners it is a dream to compete at Boston. I am sure no one dreamed such a nightmare could occur today.

Instead of focusing the media attention on the disturbed person or people responsible, let's focus on the heroics displayed by this tragedy. Prayers for all those injured, deceased and for their families. Prayers for all those who heroically responded at the scene including all first responders, runners, the many volunteers and spectators. There are a few bad apples in the world but there are MORE good people than bad! Over the next few days we will be reminded of today's tragic event by the media. We will also hear stories of runners, race personnel, spectators, volunteers, first responders and complete strangers stepping up to help each other. It is in time of tragedy we are our strongest as human beings. Prayers for Boston and America! Stay strong!

Volunteering at RTP and ARC

I volunteered at the Rock the Parkway Half-marathon this weekend. I haven't been running much and therefor wasn't in shape to run it even if I wanted to. I hope to become more consistent with my running soon. Until then I thought it would be good to give back to the sport that has given me so much.

I was a course monitor which basically means I assisted KCPD with keeping traffic off the course so the runners are able to run a safe traffic-free race. I was assigned the intersection at 63rd Terrace and Ward Parkway. Wow was there a lot of traffic! It became quite a challenge. Many people were trying to either turn south on to ward parkway or cut across, neither of which we could allow them to do once the runners got close to the area. I used my car to block the intersection but even that wasn't enough. One older gentleman tried to bump me with his car because I told him he needed to turn around. The KCPD officer assigned to work the same area came over and positioned his car so that between my car and his nobody could get through. He apologized for not doing that sooner and made sure I knew to holler if I needed help with any upset drivers. We had a few more people yell at us after that but for the most part people cooperated and turned around as directed. And of course it's always nice to hear "Thank You" from all the runners. Overall it was an experience I had hoped for. I'm sure I will volunteer at some more races this year.

I have been to a few fire calls for the Red Cross this past week as well. I have recently been diagnosed with PTSD because of the trauma of going through 2 fires in a 2 week period last year. My psychiatrist suggested that maybe I shouldn't volunteer with the Red Cross because of my recurring nightmares. I told him that I believe the benefit of helping those affected by a fire or other disaster outweighs the fear I feel from my experience with fire. I do now take a low dose antidepressant to help with the PTSD and feel like it is helping. My hope is to pursue a career in Emergency Management or related field and don't plan on giving up my volunteer activities anytime soon. Volunteering has been such a blessing for me and I look forward to the future opportunities it presents!

Week 8 - Raytown Police Department Citizens Academy

Week 8: Graduation!

Well it came and went really fast! Week 8 (March 13, 2013) was Graduation. Thank you to Raytown Police Department for putting on the Citizens Academy! I think it was a great start for many more classes to come. Thank you for allowing me to attend!

Marilyn Fleming took the first portion of the class to ask participants what they liked, didn't like, etc. I think participants provided some really good suggestions and RPD will run with those suggestions to try and provide informative and engaging Citizens Academy's for many years to come.

Here are a few pics from Graduation. Hoping to add more when I receive them.

Week 7 - Raytown Police Department Citizens Academy

Week 7 was delayed by one week due to the weather. I was happy about that because I would have otherwise missed week 7 and wouldn't be able to graduate (because I also missed week 6). Had a personal medical issue that had me sidelined for a bit. Any hoo...on to week 7. Topics covered included Overview of VIPS program, Recruiting and Training of Sworn Officers & Civilian Employees, Raytown Crime Watch Team, Neighborhood Crime Watch and finally "Questions you always wanted to ask but haven't".

Civilian Marilyn Fleming kicked off class discussing the VIPS program. Marilyn is the Community Services Unit Coordinator for Raytown Police Department. She is the coordinator for the Citizens Academy as well. VIPS stands for Volunteers in Police Service. Law Enforcement volunteer programs are not designed to replace sworn officers or civilian personnel but rather supplement functions of law enforcement agencies allowing officers to do their job in a more effective manner (focus on more essential duties). There are many volunteer opportunities for VIPS participants. Some opportunities available through Raytown Police Department include Detention/Booking, Historian for Department, Computer Entry. Participants of the citizens academy will get to ask more questions and express interest in volunteer opportunities in next weeks class. To learn more about VIPS visit their website at www.policevolunteers.org. Many area law enforcement agencies get volunteers through VIPS.

RPD does not currently have a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) but if their is enough interest this is a project Marilyn will be heading up. This is a program I am interested in but since I am not a resident of Raytown I will most likely pursue it in the city I live in. CERT teams do not replace first responders but rather supplement emergency services as needed during disasters. For more information about CERT visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm.

Sergeant Michelle Rogers discussed the Professional Standards Unit. PSU is responsible for Internal Affairs, Recruiting and Hiring of Sworn Officers as well as Training. Sgt Rogers reviewed the hiring process including the extensive application and interview process. Volunteers must go through an application and interview process as well although not quite as extensive (ie. no physical or psychological exams). PSU investigates all complaints received. RPD is very proactive with training of sworn officers.

FYI... Commendations go to the Chief for review. People are quick to complain but few take the time to complement. If you have had a good/positive experience with an officer take the time to write a letter of commendation to say thank you. I did. It was for a different department. It feels a little weird running in to that deputy as much as I do but I have no regrets about writing the commendation.

Raytown has a Citizen Crime Watch Patrol. Bob, Fred and Jim (sorry, didn't get their last names) were present to discuss the team. It was established in 1992. Currently there are 9 members. There have been as many as 20. It is a nonprofit organization independent of the police department that works closely with the police department to serve as the eyes and ears for the police. The citizens patrol all areas within the city limits of Raytown. The goal is to be proactive and report any suspicious activity to dispatch for follow up by police. Members of the patrol go through 50 hours of training before being set free to patrol on their own. The Crime Watch Patrol can be identified by the sign on their vehicles. If interested in learning more contact Marilyn Fleming through the Raytown Police Department.

Officer Krista Mann discussed the Neighborhood Crime Watch program. The goal of neighborhood watch programs is for citizens to be more aware of what is happening in their neighborhood and to help prevent crime by working with the police department and becoming involved. Officer Mann initiated the VIPS program for RPD and remains very involved with the Neighborhood Crime Watch program while working in patrol full time.

Last but not least... Major Ted Bowman answered "Questions you always wanted to ask but haven't." Questions included:

Why do detectives wear business attire?
It is sometimes a softer approach (talking to an officer in plain clothes versus uniform). Depends on situation. Detectives can wear their uniform and do so depending on the type of job they are working.

Is there a case that haunts you?
The case that most haunts Major Bowman is the unsolved murder of Sarah Blessing in 1992. The suspect is believed to be a serial killer known as the I70 killer responsible for 9 deaths.

The other case that haunts Major Bowman is the disappearance of Kim Tilden in 1987. To date the case has not been solved.

How do the traffic lights change for emergency vehicles?
Traffic lights have sensors on top of the lights (I thought those were red light cameras but they are not). The sensor uses a flash frequency to detect the emergency lights. Once detected the sensor changes the light to green for the direction the emergency vehicle is going and red for all other traffic directions. The technology is installed in marked cars only. Vehicles without the technology installed cannot trigger the sensors.

What determines how many officers respond to a call for service?
Seriousness of call and availability of officers. Calls involving kids will always get a high response.

What is the biggest challenge facing Raytown Police Department?
Keeping up with the times. Technology seems to always be one step ahead of law enforcement.

Is radar a priority task for officers?
Radar is secondary. It can be run between calls. Service calls always take priority over running radar. Traffic units run radar more frequently than patrol.

What is a positive quality of RPD?
The people! From the young to the seasoned officers, RPD prides itself in hiring quality people.

What happens when a complaint is received about an officer?
The complaint is investigated by the Professional Standards Unit. Questions addressed include: Is there an issue with the officer that needs to be addressed? Training issue, behavioral issue, etc. or is it a citizen with a grudge against a specific officer?

How do officers get in to cop mode at the beginning of their shift and get out of cop mode at the end of their shift?
Routine. Everyone's different but it's important to have a routine to begin the shift to help get engaged and at the end of the shift to disengage.

Thank you to Major Bowman for being very candid and answering participant questions!

At the conclusion of class I got an opportunity to do an unscheduled ride along for a few hours. I have a friend on the department who happened to be working patrol that night. I was having a difficult day and needed to talk so I sent a text to a few friends. Upon receiving my text stating I needed to talk my friend (Officer Leigh Brooks) got permission from her supervisor for me to ride with her for a few hours which allowed me talk through an issue I was having and get input from a friend. Thank you RPD for making that exception for me. It is a great example that RPD has quality people!

Next week is graduation! A class picture will be taken and CA participants will get an opportunity to discuss what they liked about the citizens academy, what improvements could be made, etc. Participants will also be able to express their interest in volunteering and starting a CERT program in Raytown.