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View Full Version : I'm a volunteer first responder, is anyone else one too?



BayouGirl
9-20-12, 11:47pm
I moved to the small town where I live, just in time to get hit by hurricane Gustav. My friends here are all longtime members of the local volunteer fire department and as the storm approached they opened a shelter, check on shut in people to make sure they were taken care of an accounted for, got busy with organizing a relief effort an still ran medical and accident calls. They were more than happy to have me join them and I was quickly caught up in everything.

So we ran a shelter for 3 days, including providing hot meals to over a hundred people 3 times a day. We also had a relief supply distribution center at the fire house which gave out water, ice, tarps, MREs, some cleaning supplies and over 1200 hot meals each day. Most of this was done in the burning sun with no electricity or running water for our badly needed showers at night. People bathed in pools, creeks and under the fire hose in a makeshift shower created with tarps. It was rather chilly water but the water pressure was enough to knock you off your feet!!

Our relief distribution shelter was the first one up and running in our parish (Louisiana has parishes, not counties) because our members went and got the supplies with their own truck and gas, rather than waiting for the gov't to send them to us. We sped up the distribution process by having people drive up and we would load the supplies in their trunks. That kept our site safe from injuries and kept the area from getting crowded.

That was about 4 years ago and I have remained as a member of the fire department and have become a certified first responder. I have worked the scenes of some of our worst accidents, tragedies and thankfully only a few murders and suicides. Sometimes there is nothing you can do but comfort the victims family and ensure that the deceased are handled for with dignity and loving care. Other times, we are called to a drowning and spend many days using our own boats and taking vacation time from work to be able to help recover the body of someone who drowned and needs to be found so that their family can at least have their loved one be able to have a proper burial.

Luckily, many of our calls are just medical calls where we respond to the scene and get the patients ready to be transported by the ambulance crew from the hospital 30 miles away. We are on all 24 hours a day. I don;t have money to give to causes that I believe in but I do feel that I can contribute by giving my time and efforts.

lhamo
9-21-12, 6:59am
Bless you for all you do for your community. My dad died suddenly of a heart attack at home early in the morning when I was 15. I still remember how grateful we were to the ambulance crew when they arrived, and after, even though they weren't able to save him. They all followed up with us afterwards to let us know how sorry they were. One guy on the crew was the father of some classmates of mine, people I'd gone to school with for years. I remember they were particularly nice to me in the days that followed -- I'm sure he asked them to be.

lhamo

BayouGirl
9-22-12, 1:45am
Bless you for all you do for your community. My dad died suddenly of a heart attack at home early in the morning when I was 15. I still remember how grateful we were to the ambulance crew when they arrived, and after, even though they weren't able to save him. They all followed up with us afterwards to let us know how sorry they were. One guy on the crew was the father of some classmates of mine, people I'd gone to school with for years. I remember they were particularly nice to me in the days that followed -- I'm sure he asked them to be.

lhamo

Thanks for your kind words. It means a lot to us when family members let us know how we made a difference in their lives and how we helped them. Our whole reason for doing what we do is to help others in their time of need so it is always appreciated when we hear that we have done just that.

Simplemind
9-22-12, 4:17pm
I am a member of a volunteer organization called TIP (Trauma Intervention Program). We are called out on primarily deaths (of any type) but also accidents, fires, rape/assault etc. It is very interesting work and I agree, always nice to know in the following days that what we did made a difference.

RosieTR
10-30-12, 11:03pm
I looked into joining Search and Rescue but for the time being it's more time than I feel I can commit to. Definitely on the horizon if I am able to work fewer hours and still physically fit enough to do it though. Good for you for your efforts!