Local crew returns from Tx. relief efforts following Hurricane Ike

"The people of Texas are the most appreciative people I've ever met," Stoddard County Ambulance Administrator Dave Cooper stated upon his return from south Texas as part of a FEMA response team in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

The Stoddard County Ambulance District sent two ambulance units and five people to south Texas to help with relief efforts. The team, made up of Cooper, Eric Dunn, Steven Cummins, Russell Orr and John Standridge, left in early September and returned early last week. They worked out of command center in San Antonio, Tx. They helped with evacuations prior to Hurricane Ike and afterward helped transport people back to the coast.

The relief efforts concentrated on the areas of Houston, Galveston and Beaumont. The Stoddard County team worked out of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, and was there 21 days. They were in Galveston helping with evacuations when Hurricane Ike was approaching the coast.

"We were one of the last 10 ambulances to leave Galveston prior to the arrival of the hurricane," Cooper said, "We were transporting a newborn boy to Austin when we encountered the first band of Ike. It was short and that was all the hurricane we experienced."

The Stoddard County team worked primarily at the command post at Kelly Air Force Base in command operations. Cooper was tapped as manager of staging operations which made him in charge of accounting for all the emergency vehicles and equipment. He and his team worked directly under the deputy incident commander at Kelly Air Force Base.

Cooper said it is a common misconception that relief efforts following a hurricane are "heroic rescue-type work."

The Stoddard County crew found that a lot of the assignments are "hurry up and wait." He said hours are spent in the ambulance awaiting an assignment and the members new to such assignments find it a "big adjustment."

One of the big jobs is the logistics of organizing such a large amount of people, equipment and vehicles in the relief effort. At one time in San Antonio, there were 300 ambulances, 700 buses and 300-400 paratransits (wheel chair accessible vehicles) at the base at one time. It was the largest deployment of EMS assets in the history of the US," Cooper explained. Coordinating and dispatching these vehicles took a long of manpower, he stated.

As staging manager, Cooper worked with his team to account for all the vehicles and make sure units are ready for their next assignments. His team was also responsible for the logging and tracking of each vehicle. Their effort was aided by tracking devices that were placed on every emergency vehicle.

"What people don't understand is that we not only have to get people out of harm's way, but we also have to get them back," Cooper said.

At least five ambulances had to be ready to respond at all times, Cooper explained. As relief efforts wore on, the crews became more tired and weary and many were ready to go home. Keeping up morale was also a necessity for those working the command centers.

"The people in charge were highly complimentary of Stoddard County personnel and their work in staging rescue operations," Cooper said of the local team.

Cooper went on to say that the workers "gave 150" percent every day and were complimented on their professionalism by staff from the commander's base of operations.

Cooper said the experience was good for his staff because they got to participate in the command process used by National Incident Management Systems (NIMS).

How SCAD became involved

FEMA began changing the way emergency response was handled after the disastrous efforts following Hurricane Katrina, Cooper said. At that time FEMA contracted the National Ambulance Company to set up American Medical Response teams throughout the country. The Stoddard County Ambulance District opted into the program and has responded to several emergencies including following the tornado in Caruthersville, Hurricane Dean and Hurricane Gustov. SCAD crews spent nine days in relief efforts after Hurricane Gustav. Members of that team were Cooper, Cummins, Dunn, Amy Earls and Chuck Edwards.

Cooper said crew members are selected on a voluntary basis. Disaster response teams are trained for extreme conditions and must be able to be self-sustaining for 72 hours. The team took enough food and necessities and had sparse living conditions the first few days after their arrival in Texas.

The teams get advance warning of possible deployments. Cooper explained, "From the time we (SCAD) got the word to go, we were on our way in 1 1/2 hours."

Cooper said participation in the relief efforts have been a financial benefit for the ambulance service. SCAD receives $150 per hour, per truck while helping with relief efforts. It is one of the reasons the county ambulance service chose to participate. The money from disaster assistance goes into a special fund that can only be used for "disaster-related" items. A bus was purchased using money SCAD received from a Hazmat response to a railway spill. That money was paid by the rail carrier.

Still, Cooper and the Stoddard County Ambulance team were appreciative of the response they received while trying to help the people of southern Texas.

"Every time we stopped at a restaurant, a gas station or anywhere else, the people thanked us and showed their appreciation," Cooper said with some satisfaction. It was a good way to remember the 21 days of hard work and dedication of so many people from across the country who answered the call to help their neighbors.