Disaster Assessment... Shawnee Fire 5/10/13

Ever have one of those days where you don't want to do anything but sleep all day? I was having that kind of day today. If you have been following my blog you may have read that I struggle with depression and PTSD. It's a new diagnosis for me and is a result of several stressful events over the past year or so including the fire that took my kitty Cosmo from me as well as all my possessions. I have good days and bad days. Today started out as a bad day...

I wasn't on call for the Red Cross today but my phone rang around 3pm with a call from the Red Cross to assist at an apartment fire. I am currently only working part-time so I was home and available to respond to the call. It was an apartment fire in Shawnee. The location wasn't too far from me and I ended up being the first Red Cross Volunteer to arrive on scene. The Shawnee Fire Incident Commander was teasing me because I behaved and actually parked behind a patrol car instead of cross through the barrier the patrol car created without asking permission (the Shawnee PD officer would tease me about it later as well!). That meant I had to walk up the hill to the apartment complex (instead of drive up closer) and the Incident Commander was teasing me to run up to him. I wish I could remember names but unfortunately that's one of the many things I am terrible at! Shawnee Fire and Police were great today! They provided the info we (Red Cross) needed to get the residents assistance. Many times we are contacted late enough in to the incident that fire and police have already left by time we arrive. It's always nice to see fire and police still on the scene when possible because they can provide us relevant information about what actually happened but also who really lives in the residence. In some cases we sometimes need assistance with crowd control as well. Fire and other disasters tends to draw looksyloos (as well as not so honest people that look to take advantage in disaster situations) which can make for a dangerous situation for us and those residents actually impacted by the disaster. Anyhoo, Shawnee Fire and Police were still on scene and provided the assistance we needed to gather up the residents who were affected and provide them the assistance they needed while not worrying about the onlookers getting in the way. We always wait for fire to tell us it's safe to enter a residence before we go in to do the damage assessment. If the fire department has already left the scene by time we arrive we can't always do our assessment and that's why we like to see them still on scene when we arrive. It's as much for our safety as it is for the residents. It's also nice when fire or police recognize volunteers and say "Hi" as well as do what they can to provide assistance. Some of the fire fighters today recognized me from my fire and asked how I was doing. That's a nice gesture especially since it has been over a year ago and many people have already forgotten about it. A fire like the one I experienced in Feb 2012 isn't something you get over quickly so I appreciate that the fire fighters asked how I was doing!

Thanks for the help today Shawnee Fire and Police!

One apartment unit was completely destroyed, 2 others were affected by smoke and 3 others were aired out so that carbon monoxide was not an issue for those residents. In all, the Red Cross assisted 6 adults and an infant. My day is always brighter when I am able to help provide assistance to others! I would call today a good day...

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!