Yesterday I took part in a hospital emergency drill.

Nobody told me ahead of time that it would involve a 'vertical evacuation' meaning: they needed to test some equipment going down flights of steps. I got to try out (as a 'patient') a chair with some kind of slide mechanism on the back and something called a chute. The chair was not too bad but a little 'heads up!' about flipping me backward and bumping on the stairs would have been nice. The chute was corrugated plastic that I was strapped into and dragged down 2 flights of stairs in. It was really pretty funny - bumpity, bump, bump. Glad I bundled my coat under my head.

The two teams I worked with were interested in learning how to use this equipment but one team told their 'patient' volunteer that they didn't have time to do the drill.

The things I do to keep from getting bored...

Working with groups is really an adventure in itself. Since we have our own business and homeschooled, our groups have pretty much been hand-picked and really enjoyable.

I've been volunteering with new groups this year and have found lots of variation.
One pretty much conveyed that my help wasn't worth keeping after I offended one member while following one of the group rules.
Another group ran its course when the people we were supposed to help conveyed that they didn't want the help because of liability issues.
Another group has some funky communication established with a whole political hierarchy even among the volunteers. My mentor went so far as to tell me not to speak to others when I had questions.

Help is a funny thing.

This is BART, the Big Animal Rescue Truck that Code 3 Associates uses as a base of operations on disaster assistance calls.  

They're down in Houston now, helping the animals affected by the wild weather.  All the help is free and funded by donations and grants.  

Give a little if you can, ok?

I went on my first DAT (disaster action team) call this week, a pre-dawn house fire in the county. Wow.

Now's a good time to send some money to relief agencies.  I don't know how the others are doing, but the American Red Cross is having to borrow millions to feed and shelter the people affected by all the recent hurricanes. I spoke with a local RC fundraiser who told me he had gotten only one call after Gustav!   Try to send some money, even if just a little.  If you don't designate where the money should go, they are able to put it where it goes the farthest.                           

(image from wikipedia.org)

Victims Needed!

If you like to be painted in scars, burns and other injuries then this is
the position for you. If you find that Holly Wood is not beating down
your door but you’re a great victim with a horrific voice, we want you!
Your participation supports a regional Community Emergency
Response Team Disaster Exercise. For more information about CERT
go to http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/.

To Volunteer Contact:
North Central Region c/o
2008 CERT Summer Games
certsummergames@gmail.com
303.768.8734
Sunday, September 14th, 2008
7:30a-1:00p
Denver Police Academy
2155 N. Akron Way, Denver, CO
~Lunch Provided~

 I went down to the Denver for a Red Cross briefing about the DNC.  Wow.  What a set up.    We'll be on call 24/7 for the week of the convention, ready in case we're needed.  This is an amazing group of people!  I'm really looking forward to working with them.

I've been getting involved with the Red Cross lately, hoping that this will be an organization I can settle into for years to come. Sometime before or after Katrina, I did some RC training at the now defunct local office but was never called to volunteer. That particular training didn't win me over but the organization seems to have gone through some changes and I'm finding it a better fit.

I've signed up with the Disaster Action Team and that means being on call for periods at time in case something happens (probably house fires, which are the most common disaster). And I'm taking a class on Sheltering to prepare for the DNC, in case there is a need.

Funny, I'm not looking for disasters but at the same time, I hope this training will be put to good use sometime.