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.