October 01, 2005
FEMA Called And Some Responded
Last month I blogged on FEMA's request for firefighters to come to the aid of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The job description was for non-fire positions however it does look like some of the responders are finding work beyond paper pushing - good thing!
"Storm Surge---
Firefighters are among flood of relief workers
By Ann Depperschmidt
The Daily Reporter-Herald
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent Hill and Monty Kitzman, both Berthoud firefighters, to Mississippi on Sept. 5 to distribute food, water, relief information packets and check on people who couldn’t or wouldn’t evacuate. The two returned Sept. 19.
Two other Berthoud firefighters, Scott Lindschmidt and Sean Baker, flew to Belle Chasse on Sept. 20 to help at a fire station there.
On Sept. 1, the International Association of Fire Chiefs received a plea from FEMA: Send 1,000 two-person firefighter teams to help people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Berthoud Fire Chief Steve Charles paged his crew, and Hill and Kitzman answered right away.
“There was a need to provide as much assistance as we could,” Charles said. “We didn’t have any hesitation. We felt it was the right thing to do.”
Hill and Kitzman packed their bags — officials told them to bring only what they could carry each day — and headed out to Gulfport, Miss., where they heard stories of a 30-foot storm surge that had carved up the city.
“There were no houses standing,” Hill said. “Nothing to be seen but a lot of people who needed help.”
The two joined other volunteers in a 400-person tent, where they woke up at 5:30 a.m. every day, were briefed on that day’s jobs, and worked until curfew.....cont. article "
Tags; Hurricane Katrina, FEMA, Firefighters
"Storm Surge---
Firefighters are among flood of relief workers
By Ann Depperschmidt
The Daily Reporter-Herald
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent Hill and Monty Kitzman, both Berthoud firefighters, to Mississippi on Sept. 5 to distribute food, water, relief information packets and check on people who couldn’t or wouldn’t evacuate. The two returned Sept. 19.
Two other Berthoud firefighters, Scott Lindschmidt and Sean Baker, flew to Belle Chasse on Sept. 20 to help at a fire station there.
On Sept. 1, the International Association of Fire Chiefs received a plea from FEMA: Send 1,000 two-person firefighter teams to help people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Berthoud Fire Chief Steve Charles paged his crew, and Hill and Kitzman answered right away.
“There was a need to provide as much assistance as we could,” Charles said. “We didn’t have any hesitation. We felt it was the right thing to do.”
Hill and Kitzman packed their bags — officials told them to bring only what they could carry each day — and headed out to Gulfport, Miss., where they heard stories of a 30-foot storm surge that had carved up the city.
“There were no houses standing,” Hill said. “Nothing to be seen but a lot of people who needed help.”
The two joined other volunteers in a 400-person tent, where they woke up at 5:30 a.m. every day, were briefed on that day’s jobs, and worked until curfew.....cont. article "
Tags; Hurricane Katrina, FEMA, Firefighters
