First Response Team of America

December 16, 2010 - Peterbilt Factory - Denton, Texas

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Team is so proud to say, “we are at the Peterbilt Factory in Denton, Texas getting a Peterbilt donated to us”. Today is a really proud day, not just because Peterbilt makes such a great truck, but because Peterbilt cares about what we do and the help we lend to people in their hour of need.

Sometimes it's nice to know that the Team is not out there alone, but instead, we are with the generous companies and individuals that really care about folks who are experiencing some of the most difficult times they have ever faced.

We want to say a special thank you to Jim Fykes, the plant manager for giving us an amazing tour of the factory and also to all the executives at Peterbilt and Paccar that made today happen. Thank you for this opportunity.

GQ Gentleman's Ball - New York City

2010-10-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2010

Tim and Tad are just arriving in NYC for the GQ Gentleman’s Ball. It’s such an honor to have been chosen to be in the top five men that make the world a better place by GQ. These other guys do amazing work and we are so excited to meet them. It's going to be so much fun to meet some of the stars as well! Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Chace Crawford, Nick Cannon, B.O.B., Adrian grenier and David Arquette will be here.

Thanks GQ for the amazing opportunity. I hope it allows many more to learn more about the First Response Team of America and encourages others to join our cause to help our neighbors in need.

Photo by Patrick McMullan Company

September 30, 2010 - Floods in Wilmington & Windsor, NC

2010-10-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we got word from Dr. Greg Forbes that there was a chance for severe flooding in Wilmington, NC. We left immediately and arrived in Wilmington just before the rains were expected to arrive. The main fire department downtown welcomed us with open arms.

It’s always nice to be welcomed by big cities. You just never know whether or not they will want a hand, since many of them have big budgets, paid firefighters on staff and equipment to boot. But, similar to the floods earlier this year in Cranston, Rhode Island, they invited us to help.

It was nice; we were given our own room and the opportunity to cook a few meals with the fire fighters. We waited in Wilmington for two days while the storm hammered the city, but, there were no calls for rescues.

Then, we received an email from Dr. Forbes..."head north," he said, "there is going to be a small city by the name of Windsor that is going to get hit badly; they have a swamp in the surrounding areas with a river that will really cause some flooding.” We shook hands with the Wilmington Fire Department, thanked them for their hospitality and headed out.

When we arrived in Windsor, we were able to help with water rescues through the night until state water rescue teams arrived the next day.

Second Oil Spill Video Blog

2010-08-12T21:45:00.001-07:00

Here's our second video blog from Louisiana!

In this blog, the team cleans oil off beaches at Grand Isle, lives on-board a jack-up barge, and cleans oil off islands in Bay Chaland.

On July 26, the Team left Delta Marina in Empire, LA and is currently preparing for the oncoming hurricane season.

Thanks for the support and stay tuned for the latest news...

First Oil Spill Video Blog

2010-07-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here's our first video blog from the Gulf oil spill clean up!

It's a glimpse of what we've been doing out here for the last two months. Tim produced it and our newest member Chris edited it together. We have another blog coming soon. It will show what we were doing on Grand Isle.

Let us know what you think!

Stay tuned and thanks for all the support!

July 11, 2010 - Gulf Oil Spill Disaster - Barrier Islands

2010-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

The fight continues in the Gulf. We stepped out for two days and the Team flew with Tad to Washington D.C. for the National Jefferson Award ceremony at the National Building Museum. Tad, the founder of the Team, was honored with the National Jefferson Awards’ highest honor for the Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 or Younger. Considered the “Nobel Prize for Public Service,” the awards annually celebrate America’s commitment to giving back and contributing toward the larger good. Others who received awards for their contribution to public service were New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker; Goodwill Industries CEO Jim Gibbons; Partners in Health founder Paul Farmer; Oakland Raiders football player Nnamdi Asomugha and Charlotte Bobcats basketball player Tyrus Thomas.

Three weeks prior, the Team began an aggressive initiative to clean up the beaches of Louisiana. Of course, we chose the hardest ones to start out. They are called the Barrier Islands, and they are located at the southern most tip of LA. These Islands were built many years ago to hold back the ocean from taking over the marshes and grass lands of LA. When you stand on them, on one side you have the ocean and on the other side you have the wetlands, which are full of beautiful tall grasses, fish and wildlife.

Though it seemed impossible to get all of our equipment to these islands, we knew when the oil would come, it would come here first and these islands are the first defense for all of the marshes. If we could capture the oil there, we could protect our beaches, birds, fish and marshes. We knew we had to try, and we did.

The only way to get our gear to the Islands was by a large barge heavy enough to hold all of our gear, but able to go through shallow water. To make things even more difficult we had to find a barge with a crane that would be able to lift our equipment from the boat onto the beaches of the islands.

Well...we found one...and we also found ourselves in the middle of severe weather including a hurricane, tornados, lighting, wind and rain. Many times we had to abandon ship and take speedboats to shelters. One time the rain was coming so fast and hard we took a small boat and fled to a nearby abandoned home that stood in the middle of the marshes. The currents at times were so bad we had to tie 4 boats together, and fight against the stream just to keep from washing out into the Gulf.

Nevertheless, the Team made it after 4 days. We quickly unloaded our beach clean up gear, which was donated by Terex, and got to work. Due to the wet and marshy conditions we brought in heavy haul hydraulic loaders, dump trucks, and trailers, which were all equipped with Low Ground Pressure Amphibious Tracks. These allow us to go over grasses without destroying them or into four feet of water without getting stuck. We also brought in light towers, enabling us to work at night, dozer blades, 6 foot steel rakes and special hydraulic powered drum rakes, which allow us to cut off a layer of the beach and find the oil underneath the sand.

This all may sound boring, but to keep it simple....the tide brings in oil...but...it also brings in sand which covers the oil. We have to find the oil and the only way to do that is when the tide is low, peel back the beach and find it, suck it up and remove it from the islands. This needs to be done and it needs to be done quickly.

The days are now starting to get long. We start at 3 a.m. and don’t get back till around 10 at night. The team is exhausted from the sun that blasts down on the beach. The work is hard, but the need to get this done drives us.

We feel as if we are standing in the shoes of millions of Americans who would love to be here and save their homeland, but cannot.

In the next few days we are going to start staying on a ship that is docked near the islands. The ship will be parked close enough to the island so that we can jump on our hovercraft and get some food and a few hours of sleep here and there. The boat captain was more than happy to help us. He says there are some bunks on which we can crash whenever we need and his cook will be sure to have food in the kitchen when we need it. It will be fun; the Team has never lived on a ship before.

Though we are exhausted and the work ahead seems endless, we know the good people of southern LA have not even recovered from Katrina. Now, this. Everything informs me they are good, sincere and loving people. We will stand with them through this as long as funding allows us.

We have told the local officials in Plaquemines Parish that we will serve alongside them until the next major hurricane. We have our response fleet parked at a Peterbilt Dealer near-by and are committed to responding to the next major hurricane for rescue and response operations. But, until then, we are here and we will help.

I hope for better days ahead for the state. God knows they need it.

June 27, 2010 - Gulf Oil Spill Disaster

2010-06-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

It’s been a busy year starting with Haiti, then onto the floods in Rhode Island, tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, floods in Nashville and now the Gulf Oil Spill. We are accustomed to dealing with earthquakes, floods and tornadoes, but when the Gulf Disaster began, the Team questioned whether or not they should get involved, but knew the only way to find out was to get on the ground and see for ourselves.

We were given a warm welcome by Lt. General Russel Honoré and The National Guard and immediately were asked to support the Guard in the construction of tiger dams. Water pumps are used to create dams and we have high-powered water pumps that were able to double the production of the building process. We also have a tremendous amount of low ground pressure equipment able to work on the soft sandy beaches and marshy wetlands. In most situations, with the tides coming in and out most wheeled machines and vehicles would simply sink so our gear was the best for this situation in moving the pumps and setting the dams along the shoreline of LA.

The purpose of these dams is to create a wall about 20 feet from the shore line. Because the oil is here and is being pushed onto the beaches by the waves, the walls keep the oil on a small portion of the beach instead of the whole beach allowing a small area where the oil can be cleaned up and removed.

Over the past 6 weeks, the Team has worked tirelessly fighting the good fight. I remember clearly the day when the oil landed on our beaches. The waves became red and the white sand turned black. That day was very emotional, and I could not figure out exactly why. So much of the devastation we encounter regularly includes a tremendous loss of life. Though 11 workers were killed on the oil rig, on that day we were grieving our homeland being invaded by oil. The emotional response was unexpected, and I fear the worst is still to come.

We as American people really have no answers. No one really knows when the well will be capped, if the relief wells they are trying to drill will work, how much oil is spewing into our Gulf daily, how large the plumes are moving like submarines below the surface of our waters and where the currents will take them. What are the long-term effects and could this go down as the worst oil spill in the history of our world?

With all that said, is everything that could be done being done? I think the answer is no. I think the disaster is so large that no one wants to take responsibility for it. This 20 Billion dollar fund is based on what figures? All I know is what I see on the front lines everyday. And what I see is not much.

I believe more can be done and if the opportunity arises or if the Team can create the opportunity, we will. Another fear we face is the imminent hurricane season that is upon us. It was already predicted to be a severe year, but what will the effect be of oil being picked up from the ocean and tossed over our houses, roads and fields. I fear this could become some of our worst nightmares.

Until then, we prepare and work hard daily, looking for solutions and making a difference.

April 3, 2010-Cranston, Rhode Island - Flooding

2010-04-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago some of the U.S. Team members returned from Haiti to begin training and preparing the U.S. fleet for the 2010 storm season. Preparedness for us covers FEMA certifications, first aid, swift water and ice rescue training and continually running and servicing all of our equipment so it is ready at a moment’s notice.

Though the team is still working in Haiti clearing rubble from streets and home sites, we have to be ready and able to respond to the potential floods and tornadoes that will strike early spring and summer in the States. Sure enough, we finished our training just in time.

A few days ago we heard that Rhode Island was going to be in the path of some severe weather in the form of heavy rains and floodwaters. As we worked with some of the best meteorologists in the country we realized Cranston, Warwick and East Warwick were going to get slammed by the worst flooding in 100 years. At first the Pawtuxet River, running through Cranston, was supposed to rise 9 feet above flood stage. To our surprise, it crested at 20.79 feet, 12 feet above flood stage.

We arrived just as the river was about to crest. The team introduced themselves to Chief Gumbley, the Fire Chief for the City of Cranston, RI. After we explained we were there to assist him with water rescues using a hovercraft, free of charge, and it was outside all ready to be deployed, he said, “Ok, let’s do this.”

The calls were coming in left and right, and there was not much time to lose. The chief called for his assistant to work with us for the next 48 hours and respond to any calls that came in having to do with water rescues or water hazards.

Our first task was to inspect factories and office buildings that were along the river that were completely flooded. The water rose so quickly that people could have been caught in the buildings. After that, we received a call about a fully loaded tractor-trailer that was floating down the river headed toward the bridge that connected Cranston and Warwick. The only way to stop it was to cut a hole in the side of the rig, fill it with water and sink it. Throughout the next few days we had calls ranging from people trying to evacuate from their homes with rubber rafts getting caught up in the current to a man rowing out into the bay trying to commit suicide. We also were able to save many animals. At one point Tim had to swim into a home that was mostly under water to save some cats.

I must say I think the most moving event of this response was flying through a neighborhood transporting a citizen and the fire chief to find someone’s cat. As we were flying over the flooded streets, I watched this young man in horror as he saw his brand new truck floating down the street toward the river. He held his head as he saw his home for the first time completely destroyed. He cried and explained he thought his cat would be in the bottom room of his house. At the time we did not have much hope that the cat would be alive but we broke the window and swam in anyway. Sure enough, there was the cat, floating on top of a bucket in the closet.

At that moment the Team and the homeowner forgot about all that was lost and how terribly the storm ravaged everything. At that point all that mattered was that everyone, including the animals were safe. We are always reminded in the most difficult times in life, what really matters. I don’t mean to forsake all that happened in Rhode Island that was terrible, but for a small moment in time, life was put in perspective.

February 11, 2010 - Haiti Earthquake

2010-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, CNN has asked me to participate in interviews on the Don Lemon show to specifically discuss the rebuilding phase of Haiti. I usually read the New York Times and a few other publications every morning, and I have been intrigued by the varying views on how to go about three important phases: temporary housing, short-term housing and long-term rebuilding of infrastructure. I have also read so much about the corruption in the government and the abuse of funds that have come into the country in years past.

Then, I spent a few weeks on the ground in Haiti and I got a completely different feel for the country. Everywhere I went, I saw young people, people selling things on the streets, small business and extreme poverty unlike anything I have ever seen before. And part of me said, “What good will it do if we build houses, sewage and water systems and basically just give people a place to live”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to sound cynical, but wouldn’t it be great if we could teach and educate the Haitian people to do these things. What if the investment in Haiti could also be in the people and not just in structure and infrastructure? What if schools and clinics could be built in these areas along with housing? Everywhere I went, I saw beautiful hard-working people, but people who were malnutritioned, in need of medical care and in need of learning a trade.

What if there was a huge focus on taking many of the young people in Haiti and teaching them to be doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, builders, welders and truck drivers. I think at that point, we would have not only done something good, but excellent.

The First Response Team of America does something excellent in the United States. We preserve life and jumpstart response and recovery efforts, which lead to communities knowing that they can and will prevail when all has been lost. We are doing the same thing in Haiti, but from being here, I have realized that the Haitian people are in need of an opportunity that so many Americans have been given: a good education.

Opportunity is the greatest gift I have ever been given in this life. If we are responsible with the opportunities that we have been given, they oftentimes cascade into others. The young people of Haiti must be given an opportunity in education if there is ever going to be a change. If we invest in the people of Haiti, there will be an investment that has a great return in the years to come. It will prove to result in sustainability for the future of Haiti and its people. For I believe in this country are those who will one day be the politicians, educators, doctors and engineers leading Haiti to its greatest potential.

I don’t mean to be an eternal optimist, but I can’t help but see beautiful people everywhere I go and a country that is breathtaking. I hope education and nutrition could someday bring an end to the poverty and broken government.

February 7, 2010 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Earthquake

2010-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Last night I found a field in which to sit with a view of the ocean and the city of Port-au-Prince in the background. There were patchy areas of the city, some with lights on, others dark and large billows of smoke rising from all over. Sometimes the wind would blow bringing smells of the destruction. From a distance, the view of the sea and mountains were beautiful, but the smells and smoke would throw me back into it all and remind me where I was and what I was seeing.

I read yesterday that the death toll could be at 200,000. I could not help but realize I was looking at a graveyard. As I was touring the city and assessing the damage, I was taken to a 7-story school. I climbed on top of the rubble, located in downtown Port-au-Prince, and I quickly realized that I was standing on top of 7 stories that had been compacted into about 12 feet. There was a crushed globe and homework tossed to the wind with little 1-inch by 1-inch photos of little boys and girls stapled to it. There were crushed desks from the classrooms, tattered clothing strewn about and the smell of all of the bodies still trapped under the rubble.

As I sat and reflected on the day, I could not make sense out of much. I could not find purpose in all of this destruction, even though we try to find and embrace the silver lining. All I could come away with is to love and cherish every moment of every day with the ones you love. There is no promise of tomorrow here. Really, I know that sounds trite, but it’s true. You just never know. Spend life investing in the things that really matter. Yes, life ebbs and flows for all of us. We have good days, bad days, and horrific days. But, if you are lucky enough to have friends, to have family to have someone to love, appreciate every moment you have with them. That, I believe, is what makes life beautiful. To be present, to feel alive, to know you are breathing. Now, that’s what matters.

February 2, 2010 – Cité Soleil, Haiti - Earthquake

2010-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

Things are moving along here in Haiti, and they are much smoother than you would have expected overall. Although, there have been many things to figure out. I’m still amazed that we are here with heavy equipment and are working daily.

We have had a few scares. Yesterday, we were approached by a group of people demanding money as we were going to empty the trucks at the dumps. They were wielding machetes and screaming, but I could not understand them because of the language barrier.

After that incident, I hired someone to drive with us at all times who could interpret. What’s been happening is when we get within a mile of the dumps, people start running alongside the trucks, and they jump onto the trucks and climb up the sides, while we’re still moving. As we get closer to the dump sites, they begin to go through the rubble in the back of the trucks, looking for metal. The reason being is that they can take the metal and sell it for food and clothing.

Sometimes when you write about it a day later it’s easy to be passive about it, but I remember at the time that it was pretty scary.

Probably the most moving part of the day was at the end. The sun was going down, and I found a safe place to dump the concrete debris way in the back of the dumping area. There, I was greeted by a group of little boys. Most likely, they ranged in age from 4-7. They were barely clothed, waiting for me to dump the truck to see if there may be anything of value in the rubbish. These little black skinned boys were covered in white concrete dust looking up at me speaking loudly in French. My interpreter said, “They are telling you that this is their new home, they have no place to go, their parents and family were killed in the quake, and they are hungry.”

I stood there for a little while. We just looked at each other. I knew there was nothing I could do. I knew there were tens of thousands of boys and girls like this. I could do nothing. I would have a picture in my blog about this, but decided it was not right. How could I even capture that moment in a photo. It is a terrible thing that has happened here to these people. There are so many different views. Some religious people say that this happened because years ago the country was dedicated to Satan. Others say there is no hope for these people because the government has done them wrong for so many years due to its corruption. Then some will go as far as to say these people were poor already and they are lazy and are looking for a handout.

I say, there are a lot of hurting people here. There are a lot of hurting people all over this world. As far as I’m concerned, what I see here are victims; victims of a terrible and vicious earthquake. We can’t make everything better. All we can do is help; help one person at a time, one good deed at a time. May we all make an investment in this life that our time will have a good return. Help those victims that you may see in your own world.

I’m thankful for the opportunity that I have been given in this life. I’m thankful for good parents; I’m thankful for being born in America. I hope that you and I can be thankful and responsible with the opportunities that we have been given in this life. It’s the only one we have here. Make each day count.

January 28, 2010 - Arrival in Haiti

2010-01-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

It was a little over two weeks ago when a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. The reports kept flooding in from everywhere about how bad it was, but what was even more concerning was how little everyone knew about the extent of the damage. There are an estimated 10 million people living in Haiti. The worst hit area was Port-au-Prince, with 2 million residents. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with 80% of its citizens living under the poverty line, and with no real building codes. In the United States, we have strict standards for construction, using rebar reinforced concrete. In a place like Haiti, the poor construction and lack of infrastructure provides no safe haven for this type of earthquake. At first there were reports of 50,000 dead, then 100,000, and now it’s been confirmed that there are more than 150,000 dead. In 1989, an earthquake struck San Francisco, also measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. That quake killed 63 people. Two earthquakes, measuring the same on the Richter scale, and yet the loss of life is so different. Buildings in Haiti simply crumbled within minutes burying an unknown number of people, the amount of whom, we may never know.

Within a day of the earthquake, many were writing to the First Response Team asking if we were going to respond. My heart was aching for those suffering from the earthquake, but I saw no other option but to write back and explain that we did not have the resources to respond. With the present economy and our young age as a non-profit, we are still struggling to stay afloat. To haul heavy equipment likes ours, overseas, is an expensive operation. I didn’t see a way that we could do it. But each time I went to send my response, I couldn’t. I could not hit the send button. I was haunted by the scenes of people standing in the rubble; people trapped with others trying to break them free. Then I saw a picture of a woman standing up straight, from the waist down wedged in by concrete, with her upper body free. She was stuck, and she looked into the camera with the eyes of sadness and hopelessness. There were tens of thousands of people buried, and I just could not turn away.

I had never shipped equipment overseas before, but I was determined to figure it out. The other conflict I was trying to mitigate was how we would help the people of Haiti without abandoning our commitments to America. With the looming storm season, I decided the only way we were going to be able to do both was to commission a new fleet of equipment and a new team just for Haiti. I quickly got on the phone and over a 4 hour period was able to secure a Peterbilt Tri-Axle dump truck from The Pete Store and a Towmaster Trailer from Towmaster. Then Cleveland Brothers CAT decided to donate the use of a CAT 312 Excavator with a claw/thumb. For those of you who don’t know what any of that is, basically it is enormous equipment that has the capability of grabbing, lifting and hauling large pieces of quake debris such as slabs of concrete.

Over the next week it was a difficult task to figure out how to transport all of this gear around the country and get it all to converge at one of The Pete Stores, which ended up being in Baltimore. When on site Jeff Arscott and his team took the truck trailer and excavator and began to fabricate a hitch and get everything ready to head out of the country. The crews worked around the clock while I worked on securing a ship to get our gear to Haiti.

I called Samaritan’s Purse, a great organization with tremendous resources, who also have the experience of helping communities devastated by disasters all over the world. We were able to partner with them and put some of our gear on a barge that they secured.

I’m making it sound simple and straightforward, but it was far from it. Securing trucks, trailers and a barge is no easy task, especially when you are heading into a country where most of the ports have been destroyed.

The Team and I flew into Port-au-Prince just a few days ago, and our gear arrives first thing tomorrow morning. Our first task is going to take place in one of the poorest communities in the country; a community that also has one of the worst crime rates in the world. It’s called Cité Soleil. There are 200,000 people living there and more than 90% of them are without a job. Aid organizations have been having a difficult time distributing aid in that area because of the challenges with security. When I went down to see the city, there were thousands of people in the streets getting water from a broken pipe. The pipe is purposely cracked, and a few hours a day the government opens the pipe so that people can clean themselves and get water.

We believe that if trucks with emergency aid supplies come in, the crowds will overtake the trucks. There is a need for an organized distribution so that more people don’t get hurt. There is a church in the community that has an enormous broken wall around it, but it has completely crumbled. We are going to take our equipment down to this location as soon as the boat lands, and we will immediately remove all of the rubble around this church and assist in erecting a new wall. After the wall is up, Samaritan’s Purse will be able to set up a stable medical clinic and bring in the needed supplies that the community needs. With the new, safe and secure environment, emergency aid can be distributed safely and in an organized fashion.

After that we will be headed to another nearby city called Leogon. At first glance, 90% of the city has been destroyed.

I think I’ll stop here. I don’t want to even begin to describe the sites. It would not be right. Everyone has seen enough. The sadness and pain left in the wake of this catastrophic devastation is beyond words. We are here. There are many here. I hope our resources will be unique and will begin to make a difference. The team and the new gear will be here for at least one year. We can’t heal the wounds here, but we can help in our way. Somehow, someway everything is going to be ok.

December 16, 2009 - The Holidays

2009-12-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Winter is here, and we are about one week away from Christmas. What a challenging year it has been for many on multiple fronts. I hope the holidays will bring many together and find happiness in friends and family...what life is really all about. The team is dispersed and home with their own families, the weather looks cold and calm and the fleet is sitting in PA. In a week or two we’ll get back together and begin training, which will cover a broad range of preparedness from FEMA, Red Cross, swift water rescue, communication, medical, gas and electrical, handling hazardous debris and much more.

For those of you who follow us on our blog we thank you and look forward to keeping in touch with you in the coming storm season as we meet people in their hour of need. As I reflect
on what it is I’m thankful for this year...it’s all of the folks I have met, who have lost so much and who have multiple reasons to grieve, but press on as the sun comes up each day. They inspire me to keep on in this life. Like our good friends from Parkersburg, IA, who lost their town and coach, this world is full of people who live with strength and honor each day. May we
take notice and try to emulate the best in people.

It’s just odd that the worst in life can often times bring out the best. Each day is a gift...cherish the ones you love. Happy Holidays to you and yours and savor each moment this life has to offer us.

November 13, 2009 - East Coast Storms

2009-11-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

Last night Dr. Greg Forbes, from the Weather Channel, gave us the latest and said, “I have my eyes on Norfolk, VA. They could be getting 60 MPH winds, 6-8 foot storm surges and power outages. Plus, there is a storm coming from the ocean that will meet the remnants of Hurricane, Ida." We were only one state away so we could be there right away as the event was going to begin.

We arrived at the firehouse down town Norfolk, VA early this morning. I introduced myself to the chief and after he looked out the window at our fleet looked at me and said, “You're not going to charge us for this are you?” I answered "no," and he quickly sent one of the fire fighters to guide us to the part of the city that was beginning to flood. 30 minutes later we were on the scene and began the rescue operation.

We launched the boat and began to go door to door checking on folks that may still be home. One after another we began to load people in the boat. 3-4 kids at a time, one after another. I grabbed this one little boy who was 4 years old. He was scared and holding onto his backpack. I sat him in front of me on the seat and flew him through his neighborhood to nearby fire fighters ready to reunite him with his family. One man screamed out the window to me, “Can you save my wife and son?” Another woman was suffering from an injury; it took 4 men to get her in the boat and as I was bringing her to safety she just sat there crying and shaking. I kept telling here everything was going to be ok and that she would be with her husband soon. One woman had two babies with her. As I sat them behind me in the boat I explained the ride would be loud and very wet but hold on and you’ll be safe soon. She did not say anything back but simply looked at me and in a way I felt she trusted me.

It’s 1 am. I’m working on the hovercraft in the fire department making sure its ready to fly in another two hours when the next storm surge comes in. As I work through the night again I can’t help but think that somewhere in this city tonight moms and dads are putting their little children to sleep, thankful for another day. It's times like these that remind me why the First Response Team of America exists.

Life is precious and unpredictable. Cherish those you love

November 11, 2009 - Hurricane Ida

2009-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

We have been on the road for thee days now. It seems like all we have been doing is chasing this one storm system. Hurricane Ida came in three days ago on Monday. We raced south immediately only to find that when the storm struck Florida and Alabama it really would not be that bad.

We consulted with Dr. Greg Forbes from the Weather Channel and decided there may be more of a threat of flooding from the storm inland possibly just north of Atlanta. We arrived in GA only to find out the storm front now moved east into South Carolina.

We kept on its tail, driving through wind and rain constantly only to find out the front kept on moving farther and farther east. We’re going to get some sleep tonight finally. We were able to get our gear out of the rain thanks to The Pete Store in South Carolina. They were kind enough to service the truck and put a new battery in the hovercraft. We should be ready to help if this storm decides to stop moving so fast and settle down on a city somewhere.

As of now, we're going to get some food and a few hours of sleep. I hope it was not a mistake to follow this storm half way across America. But if it stands still for more than a day, we’ll be right on top of it, ready to help whomever needs us.

October 30, 2009 - Mountain View, CA - Wildfires and New Fleet

2009-11-08T10:44:00.001-08:00

In the past few months the Team has responded to a Derecho (violent straight-line wind storm) that struck Fredericktown, MO, flash floods in Louisville, KY, floods in GA and we are presently in Southern California working with local organizations to clean up more than 50 homes that were destroyed by wild fires.

There were fewer storms this year then last which is timely considering so many had been affected by the economy. I often think what it would be like to be out of a job with no insurance and then your home gets destroyed. It’s almost too much to think about. After responding to so many disasters the Team is always looking for things to be thankful for and this is one of them.

This past year has been difficult on the Team as well. Few donations came in to support our work. Some of my personal equipment left over from Disaster Recovery Solutions had to be liquidated in order to put fuel in the tanks of the essential gear that had to respond but at the last hour we received help from a few companies that decided they wanted to give back themselves.

I want to give a special thanks to The Pete Store for the donation of three tractor trailers and a building in Knoxville to call home, CAT for their support through heavy equipment, Ledwell for a trailer, Godwin for a pump, Terex for a light tower and Heiden for a grapple. Though 2009 has had its challenges, I’m thankful we were able to bring in the equipment needed to continue our work for the 2010 storm season.

As the end of the year draws to a close the weather often begins to calm. We will not see many hurricanes or tornados striking the states the rest of this year, but we’ll have to keep out eyes out for floods and ice storms.

April 15, 2009 - Mena, Arkansas Tornado

2009-04-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

On April 9, 2009, a violent tornado touched down in Mena, AR, killing three and injuring 30. From what I can tell, the tornado was on the ground for about 12 miles and could have been up to ¾ of a mile wide. It destroyed 300 homes and damaged 600 others. The tornado was rated as a high-end EF3, with winds near 165 mph.

The storm plowed through downtown Mena, ripping apart homes, businesses, schools and city hall. Hundreds are without a place to call home. Most Americans in this country are already nervous about the present economic climate and unstable future but this storm has now added to the worries of this small city of about 6,000.

When I arrived I met with the mayor and other humanitarian organizations in the new makeshift city hall (the local gas station) to talk about the needs of those living in the community. About 30% of the citizens are estimated to be without insurance.

I've met many people who live in this small town, and I have seen great sadness. When I look into their faces I cannot help but see the sincerity of their appreciation that we are here and it seems to allay their sadness for a brief moment.

Little things go a long way right now - removing a tree that has crashed through someone's living room; replacing a fence to help make someone feel safe again; tarping a roof before a rainstorm hits in an attempt to protect the few belongings someone has left; clearing a home site for someone who has no insurance. The piles of rubble strewn for several square miles may look like piles of junk to the average person but to these people, it's everything they have ever know and worked hard for. Maybe as we pick up the pieces, in some small way it's helping them begin again.

The team and I have been sleeping at a small church on the edge of town. There are about 50 people staying in every room available. Last night the only place I could find an area to catch a few hours sleep was on a chair in the sanctuary. Between the sounds of people snoring and the achiness from sleeping on an uncomfortable floor, I have not slept well.
But last night as I was falling asleep I could not help but be thankful. My friend Steve Mudd once told me, "Someone always has it worse." Life may not always be perfect but if we step back for a brief moment to think, we can find something to be thankful for.

March 29, 2009 - Fargo, ND Flood

2009-03-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

It amazing that during a time when our country is so unstable and many are nervous about the economic climate, Americans still come to the aid of others in need. Even people who have already lost their homes are helping others save theirs.

We have been on standby with the hovercraft rescue boat at the sheriff’s office for a few days now. If there is a significant breach in the levees we will be there to bring people to safety. The sandbagging operation looks like it is working and though the river crested higher than ever-recorded history, it is expected to crest lower than predicted. This is good news for the city. Nevertheless, the river will stay at this level for 3-7 days. Will the manmade levees hold? That is the big question. If they breach, many homes will be under water.

The winds are expected to pick up, which can cause waves that will crash against the levees.

I’m hopeful though! Thousands of people have come together over the past few days, making over 5 million sand bags and building levees that stretch for miles.

It has been tremendous and the good people of Fargo and its volunteers will not give up. The levees are crawling with people looking for the first sign of breaches, ready to defend their homes.

As soon as the waters drop to a safe level we will be heading out, and I think things are looking favorable.

March 26, 2009 - Fargo, ND Floods

2009-03-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just about six hours before we reached Fargo, I called EOC (Emergency Operations Center) and they explained they were in need of a hovercraft. Though the manmade dikes were holding well, a few people needed to be evacuated in low lying areas and the airboats were experiencing some challenges getting into some areas.

We arrived at 5:50 am to the area they told us to report to – which was a jail – only to find out they decided to evacuate the area due to rising waters. We got diverted over to the sheriff’s office and then on to the public works department where the airboats were congregated.

The First Response Team introduced themselves to the water rescue team of Fargo. We showed them the hovercraft, explained to them what it could do and that we will be available to assist them in any way they may need. They expressed their thanks and asked us to wait with them and be on standby throughout the day…which we were more than willing to do.

The mood was tense because the waters were going to rise higher than they had ever been before. The mayor got on the airways saying, “The river is expected to behave in ways never before observed.” The National Weather Service made some startling announcements about the river and how unpredictable the next few days were going to be.

Though no levees were breaking, I understood the importance of standing by the next few days in case we were needed to evacuate people. Right now the focus should be getting the levy built and then getting everyone to safety.

March 25, 2009 - Fargo, ND Flood

2009-03-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Reports started coming in about the threat of epic floods in Fargo, ND. News stations reported about the great flood of 1897 when the river rose to 40.1 feet. Now, in 2009, the river was predicted to reach a devastating level of 42-43 feet.

That’s not all…Fargo had experienced one of the worse winters in years. Without boring the average person with a detailed weather report, the bottom line is lots of snow and soaked land means the water can go nowhere except stay on top of the ground and drain to the river. To add insult to injury, it’s freezing – not your average flood they usually see in the spring and summer. Freezing water means anyone who gets caught up in the flood waters will be subject to hypothermia.

Sand bagging operations are beginning. I’m hopeful the manmade dikes will hold back the river but if not, they are going to need a hovercraft. There are 100,000 people living in Fargo and just from experience I can tell you not everybody evacuates when they should. If those levees breach they will need our help. We’re headed out now. Looks like a 26-hour trip so we’ll alternate drivers in order to get there quickly. I think it would be a good idea to stop at the hovercraft dealer near Chicago as well. It’s time to upgrade the computer system on the hovercraft so the engine can adapt to temperatures below zero.

December 16, 2008 - National Conference for Secure Communities

2008-12-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

I was invited to Washington D.C. to speak at a symposium to develop key recommendations for the new administration. I participated as a discussion leader/subject matter expert for the symposium sharing about the model “First Response Team of America”.

I participated in a mixer the night before the symposium began. I had a chance to meet Lt. General Russell Honoree. He recognized me and said, “I know who you are, you’re that guy from CNN! I want to join your team and partner with you.” It was an honor to meet the general. He is well known for overseeing the United States military response to Hurricane Katrina. The next morning we had breakfast together, and I had a chance to talk with him about working together in the future. He offered to help me build a relationship with the Red Cross and with Homeland Security. I will take him up on that offer soon enough.

That afternoon I presented the story and work of the First Response Team to senators, governors, mayors, and various government and emergency officials. I shared how this model of custom-designed equipment, technology, and experienced staff meets the needs of communities devastated by disasters on day one and in the first few critical weeks after a disaster strikes. They even played a video from CNN Heroes. Afterwards I had an opportunity to meet many representatives from state, federal and humanitarian agencies who were also interested in meeting the various needs of disaster victims.

Yet, I must conclude, Washington is not necessarily the perfect fit for me. I find the more time I spend in the field, the better I will be at finding solutions that work. At that point, I will continue to have proven solutions to present to our country that I’m confident will work.

November 27, 2008 - CNN All-Star Tribute, Kodak Theater

2008-11-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

What a night. Today I was honored as one of CNN’s top ten heroes for 2008. Being in the Kodak Theater was a bit surreal – it’s the same theater where the Grammys are held. Anderson Cooper hosted it and Grammy Award-winning artists Alicia Keys and John Legend performed. Celebrities who presented awards were Cameron Diaz, Meg Ryan, Forest Whitaker, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Terrence Howard, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Selena Gomez. In addition, Hugh Jackman presented PEOPLE Magazine’s 2008 “Heroes Among Us”.

It was so great to be there with two of the guys from the team, Seth Lambert and Tim Wolkowicz. All three of us sat in the front row during the ceremony. There were so many famous people present and because I’m not up with pop culture I did not recognize many of them. John Krasinski, Len Wiseman, Molly Sims, Ricki Lake, Eliza Dushku, Ken Paves, Leelee Sobieski, Rachael Leigh Cook, Rachel Zoe, Taylor Swift and Robert Duvall were some of the many stars who were there to celebrate with us.

But, I must say, the highlight of the whole night was meeting the other CNN heroes. I had a chance to talk with each one of them, and it was truly inspiring. All of us had the same hearts – we simply wanted to live lives that changed the world around us. We can’t make everything better but we can live lives of change and help where we can with the resources and abilities we have.

Beyond that…meeting Lucy Liu was a bit of a surprise. After the tribute was over each hero was supposed to get pictures taken with the star that presented their award. John Krasinski, who gave me my award, had to leave shortly after the tribute so I was standing alone. Then all of a sudden this beautiful person walked up to me and said, “Hi, my name is Lucy Liu! Your work is wonderful and impressive. Would you like to take a picture together?”

Overall it was a wonderful evening. I was thankful to be with my men, the other heroes, and to be honored for all the hard work that has gone into taking the dream of the First Response Team and making it a reality. Thank you.

October 8, 2008 - Top Ten CNN Hereos

2008-10-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

This morning CNN’s Anderson Cooper announced that I was selected along with nine other people by a blue ribbon panel as a finalist for CNN’s Hero of the Year 2008! It was exciting because I was a bit nervous, not knowing if I would make it to the top ten or not. I knew that if I made it to the top ten the exposure would be great for the team!

For the last year and a half, I have fully paid for this operation myself, and I’m at the point where I have completely exhausted my financial resources. The only way I can continue the work of the team is to start a non-profit, and this exposure will help get it off the ground. Funding is needed for the 2009 storm season, and I’m hoping this endorsement from the most trusted name in news will help us with that.

Being in the top ten means I and nine other honorees will be saluted during the 'CNN HEROES All-Star Tribute' to be broadcast on the global networks of CNN on Thanksgiving night, Thursday, November 27th.

The Blue Ribbon Panel of judges that chose us included: Queen Rania Al Abdullah, founder of the Jordan River Foundation; Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, founder and chair of This World: The Jewish Values Network; Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Unite, the not-for-profit foundation of Virgin Group; Deepak Chopra, doctor, philosopher, author and speaker; Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute; Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; Earvin “Magic” Johnson, founder and chairman of the Magic Johnson Foundation; George Lopez, comedian, actor and founder of The George & Ann Lopez-Richie Alarcon CARE Foundation; Jeffrey Sachs, director of The Earth Institute and co-founder and president of the Millennium Promise Alliance; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; Kristi Yamaguchi, founder of The Always Dream Foundation; and Holly Robinson Peete, activist and advocate through the HollyRod Foundation.

The public will be able to vote and select the “CNN Hero of the Year” via voting at the CNN Heroes site from now through Wednesday, Nov. 19. At the November gala, CNN will honor the 10 heroes and reveal the CNN Hero of the Year, who will receive an additional $100,000. In its second year, the multiplatform initiative received nearly 4,000 submissions from 75 countries. So in other words…please vote for me. The team could really use the money!

June 21, 2008 - Clarksville, MO Flood

2008-06-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

We quickly heard of the troubles Clarksville, MO, was having holding back the river. The roads to Clarksville were winding and narrow, which proved challenging as we navigated our fleet of over a million dollars of equipment down to this little river town. The only way into town was through this extremely steep and narrow road. When we arrived, a local emergency official greeted us and immediately put us to work.

The town’s sandbagging operation consisted of volunteers making bags and loading trucks, which at times took hours. Seth and Rob quickly got the two cranes ready and positioned to load the piles of sand bags volunteers had made the previous days. The National Guards was there equipped with dump trucks. We loaded their trucks one after the other, only taking about five minutes per truck. This sped up the building of the levees because the sand bags were now getting to the river much quicker.

We were also asked to escort the National Guard engineers to buildings facing danger on the Mississippi River using our hovercraft. Levees needed to be inspected from the river side, and measurements needed to be taken to find out whether the river was rising or falling – and whether the worst was ahead or behind us. The water was filled with debris such as trees and railroad tracks that were barely sticking out from the water. Two by two I ferried the military as well as local emergency officials to where they needed to go on the unpredictable river.

The area along this part of the river has very large hills. They seemed to be blocking our cell phone service so we had to use our satellite phone system. The team was able to keep in contact since we were basically spread all throughout the town.

People magazine showed up to do an article on me. It was a bit odd to stand there in this disaster area and take photos for a magazine. I hope it helps bring exposure to the First Response Team, and people will start supporting us.

We are going to stay here for a few days to help with sandbagging, pumping water, and providing communication – as well as being prepared to help out with water rescues if needed.

June 20, 2008 - Clarksville, MO Flood

2008-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

We finished up in Burlington and as we were loading the CATs and water pumps I began to make plans to follow the river south and see if other communities about to be flooded needed our help. The reports were coming in from down south that small country towns were bracing for the destructive floodwaters. This river that was sucking full homes into its waters just north of us was proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

But the decision of which town we would respond to next was just about to be made for me. My cell phone rang and the person on the other end of the line asked, “Is this Tad Agoglia?” I said yes. He went on to explain that he was calling from Missouri’s emergency operation center in the state capital. They heard we had a hovercraft and needed us to respond to a distress call where more than 70 volunteers were cut off from help by the Mississippi River in a sand bagging operation south of the city of Clarksville. I explained we were only about two hours away and could leave immediately. When I asked how he got my cell phone number he said, “Aren’t you the guy who came to Ava, MO, to power up our nursing home?”

The team was already tired from our non-stop travels from Picher, OK, Parkersburg, IA, Middletown, IN, Oakville, IA, Burlington, IA and now south to Clarksville…but we knew we had to respond.

The trip south was a bit tense. Time was of the essence, and we had to get there as soon as possible – but due to the size of our rigs and the winding roads we had to take our time and be safe. The roads were small, winding, and hilly in eastern Missouri. One false move and we would have drifted off these narrow roads. We would have defeated our purpose if we hurt someone else in the process of helping others.

By the time we arrived, we discovered that it was a false alarm. I called the capital to alert them, and we realized someone had their information wrong. As far as I was concerned, it was good news. At this point, the Mississippi was raging and had shown no mercy for the many cities left in the wake of its destruction. I then heard about a community just a few miles north that was in need of a hovercraft to help monitor levees and check the river levels. We left within the hour for Clarksville, MO.

June 18, 2008 - Burlington, IA Flood

2008-06-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

We were just finishing up in Oakville and decided to head out of town, get a decent hotel, and get some laundry done. The team was tired and was looking forward to enjoying a good meal and some rest. Rob went out to do some shopping in the nearest city, which was Burlington. Within an hour my phone rang – it was Rob explaining that there was a building right on the Mississippi River that was underwater, and it looked like they could really use our help. I jumped in my truck and headed down to Burlington.

Within a few minutes of my arrival I met Pete Wilson, the factory manager of LaMont Limited. He explained that the water pump, which was almost 40 years old, caught on fire and the basement of this huge factory has subsequently filled with water, just one inch away from the majority of the inventory on the first floor.

I called the rest of the team to get all the equipment to downtown Burlington and within an hour we had our 1800 gallon-per-minute water pump removing the water from the basement.

But that would not completely solve the problem. The LaMont Limited building was under water – the Mississippi River was surrounding the building with water 3-4 feet high. We could pump the water out of the basement but it would just fill back up as soon as we pumped it out. Our only choice was to sand bag around the building…but can you sand bag a building that is already under water? There was only one way to find ouy: Let’s sand bag it.

It would take a small army to walk sand bags through the water one by one and build this wall to hold back the river. The $310,000 trucks were too expensive to risk putting in the deep water and the only piece of equipment that could drive through 3-4 feet of water with sand bags was our CAT skid steers. I decided to take a chance and send one in with the other one on standby with cables and chains in case the first skid steer stalled from the deep waters.

For the next 10 hours, the First Response Team worked tirelessly with some of the factory workers. While the water pump was pumping, we were building this wall in the hopes that it would work. By 10 pm the wall was built, and we were soaking wet. The water pump was still working and by 6 am the next morning the basement was empty.

Guess what? It worked. The wall was built around the factory and no more water was flooding into the basement. I never thought you could sand bag a wall around a building that was already under water and then pump the building dry but we did it anyway and we saved the inventory of the largest factory in Burlington, IA.

As we were finishing up that morning, I kept my eye on the weather reports. I heard of many communities that were nervous about the raging waters headed south. I knew many of them would not have the budgets nor equipment to help themselves, similar to the situation in Oakville. We loaded the equipment and said goodbye. I was going to make some calls and do some more research about communities along the river when my cell phone suddenly rang.

June 15, 2008 - Oakville, IA Flood

2008-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

It was a good fight but we didn’t win. Even though everybody in the town and from nearby cities came to help, we lost this one. There was a breach today, and it was impossible to stop. We tried but just could not hold back the water. Within a few short hours the city of Oakville, IA, was completely flooded, including approximately 18,000 acres of surrounding farmland.

When we started this fight I was not sure if we would really hold back the river. Further north the river was overtaking cities that had more resources than Oakville. But what if we did not give it our best? What would that say about the community? What would that say to future generations about giving it your best shot…to always try and never give up?

I’m glad we came to Oakville. It was worth it to be a part of this effort and to experience the passion, drive, and dedication of a small town. This town joined together to help neighbors and strangers alike, expecting nothing in return, fighting for the existence of their community. I have no doubt in my mind that Oakville will not look back. They will rebuild those levees better than ever before, they will rebuild their town, and will continue to be the heart and soul of America.

June 14, 2008 - Oakville, IA Flood

2008-06-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

The sand bagging operation was going well but more four wheelers were coming in from nearby towns to help build the levy. By now Tim and Seth had arrived from Middleton with the other grapple truck. Since the grapple truck has a 60-cubic yard dump trailer able to hold and dump 80,000 pounds, we decided to use it to carry thousands of sand bags from the bagging operation to the levy. Since only one man is needed to run the grapple truck, the Team was able to move enough sand bags to keep another 100 four wheelers working.

Things were going well, and the spirits of the community were high. We were making progress, and the levy was going up just in time. Every once in a while I would stop and look around me at the people working together to help save each other’s homes. From early morning until late at night no one stopped working.

The water was getting higher. I recommended to the community leaders to move the sand bagging operation farther outside of town. I did not like that so many young kids were making sandbags in an area that would be difficult to evacuate should the levy break. I did not want to be the one sending a bad vibe but none of this would be worth it if people got hurt. People are more important than property.

The leaders agreed, and we began to move sand, bags and equipment outside of town. We set up the new sand bagging operation in a local church parking lot. In the meantime, Tim was out on the dirt bike with the Sat Phone, GPS, and GMRS radios monitoring the levy. It was his job to alert the Team and the community if there was any sign of the levy breaching. This would either give us time to fix it or to get everyone evacuated.

June 13, 2008 - Oakville, IA Flood

2008-06-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

While finishing up in Middletown, IN, I received a call from a farmer by the name of Todd Maser. I met Todd while helping out in Parkersburg, IA. He asked if the team could help in the town where he lived. Oakville is a small town in southern IA, and it was being threatened by floodwaters from the swollen Mississippi river. The river was rising, and everyone had joined forces to build a seven mile levy, four feet high around their city…but they needed equipment. All they had were farm trucks, a tractor, and a lot of four wheelers.

There was still work to do in Middletown so I decided to split the team up. Seth and Tim would stay in Indiana, and Rob and I would head to Iowa. I left immediately and upon our arrival I saw something I had never seen before – a community of young and old working together to save their city. I immediately knew the situation was serious, and we only had a few days to get this levy built. I called Seth and Tim and told them to finish up in Indiana and get to Oakville as soon as possible.

Oakville had two dump trucks, one John Deere tractor, a few hundred people, and probably 250 four wheelers: basically just manpower and four wheelers. I decided to speed up the sand bagging operation by having the baggers throw the finished sand bags into the skid steer bucket, instead of on the ground. The skid steer would them bring them to where our crane was parked. By making one huge pile of sand bags, we could then load the bags into dump trucks with the crane. Since our crane has such a large hydraulic head, it was able to pick up 30-40 sandbags at a time and loaded the dump trucks within minutes instead of hours. We kept the dump trucks moving from the sand bagging operation to the levy. Now, instead of the four wheelers driving all the way from the sand bagging operation to the levy, we could deliver the sand bags directly to the base of the levy so the four wheelers could be put to better use in building the levy.

June 11, 2008 - Middletown, IN Flood

2008-06-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

We quickly heard about Middletown, IN. It was a unique situation because not only did the town get hit with the flood, but just a few days earlier it got hit by a tornado. Almost every roof in the town was ripped off and when the water came it simply destroyed everything. Now this is one of the smallest towns I have ever been in. The corner country store that used to be there looks like it’s closed. But the people who live here seem very kind.

Because we work directly with and under the local government and emergency officials, I don’t often get a chance to personally meet with homeowners. But this small town was different; I was able to meet each person who lived in those homes.

Over the next few days we will clean up this whole town. It’s not big and won’t be too much work, but for some reason this place is special. It’s so small and out of the way, I’m not sure who would come to help these people.

June 10, 2008 - Indiana Floods

2008-06-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Flash floods began to hit all over Indiana without much notice. Main highways were washing out, and we knew help would be needed. We said our goodbyes in Parkersburg and arrived in Indiana early this morning. We visited a few communities that were hit the worst. One of them kicked us out. The emergency official said to me, “This ain’t my first rodeo, son. I know guys like you – you offer your help and in the end slip me a big bill”. This is the second time this has happened to me where people just can’t believe all the equipment is here for free. But I did not have time to allow my feelings to be hurt. So many communities are devastated in this area, and they need our help. I tipped my hat and wished him the best and turned and walked out of his office. When the men and I were getting in our trucks people were crying and asking, “Where are you going?” I had no choice but to explain that the local authorities did not want our help. It was hard for me to drive out of that city. There was a nursing home that needed power and many washed out roads that needed to be filled. We could have done so much there but I will always respect the leadership in charge. It is their city, not mine.

June 8, 2008 - Parkersburg, IA Tornado

2008-06-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

We have really grown close to the people here in Parkersburg. Tonight was the first town hall meeting. I was asked to sit in front with the police chief, sheriff, and the town board. They opened up the meeting by welcoming the community to the first town hall meeting since the tornado, which was held in an abandoned mechanic garage on the outskirts of town. Then the chief said, “First order or business, many of you have seen the large black trucks in town opening up roads. We would like to introduce you to the man who owns those trucks, Tad Agoglia.” I was taken aback as everyone from the town gave me a standing ovation.

Later tonight I was told by many people that we gave them hope that they could begin again – because they saw progress and because people cared enough to come help. They simply felt better days were ahead. I’m thankful we can help.

June 2, 2008 - Parkersburg, IA Tornado

2008-06-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have been in Parkersburg for several days now. We have grown close to the local emergency and government officials. We are no longer staying at the hotel but at County Sheriff Johnson’s house. Our main effort here has been opening up roads. The main highway going through town had piles of debris 30-40 foot high. It was difficult and dangerous for people to drive through because visibility was so bad.

We usually just push debris aside but in this case there were so many houses piled on top of each other – covering a vital road – that we had to remove the debris to the edge of town. When Chris and Jason asked what they could do to help, I said get me dump trucks because dump trucks are usually what is available in most parts of the country.

Jason and Chris took me seriously because dump trucks arrived from three surrounding counties, and for the past few days we have been moving hundreds of truckloads of debris off the main highway.

Today is the day they are burying the husband and wife who died together. The funeral precession came right through the main road where we were working, and we all stopped as everyone drove by. I just can’t seem to get used to this. I can get used to houses and cars being destroyed but I can’t get used to death. It stops me in my tracks every time and makes me think.

After all the cars passed we kept at our work. The truck drivers could not believe we were loading them so fast, one after the other, each truck only taking 1-3 minutes to load. We are tired though – it’s been a long storm season and I know it’s not over yet. We should be done here in Parkersburg in the next few days.

May 27, 2008 - Parkersburg, IA Tornado

2008-05-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

We stayed in Picher until yesterday. The situation there was about as stable as possible. Reports started coming in of an EF5 tornado that ripped apart Parkersburg, IA. This is the largest tornado of the year so far, and it was a direct hit on the city. I decided they were going to need our help. We left immediately and arrived in Parkersburg as the sun was coming up.

Tim and I walked into what was left of the volunteer firehouse. The walls and roof were ripped off and all that was left of the garage were steel ribs. There was a lot of commotion and all of a sudden I heard someone scream, “Disaster Recover Solutions!” I heard it screamed again as a man dressed in a police officer’s uniform came around the corner of a fire truck. I identified myself as the person he was looking for. He said, “Are you the guy that owns that large black truck out front?” I said, “Yes, and we are here to help any way you need us.”

He said, “Follow me.” As we walked he said, “My name is Chris Luhring. I have lived here my whole life, and my city is destroyed. I have family who has died, I have friends who have died, and I don’t even know where to bury them. My office in city hall is gone, all the file cabinets, safes, computers, everything is gone. Can you help me?” I said, “Yes, show us where city hall used to be, and we can get to work on finding whatever we can.”

He showed us where to start, and we began digging. We began to pick at the pile of debris with our crane. The tornado was so powerful that houses and cars from blocks away were thrown into city hall – which meant parts of city hall may be lying blocks away as well. Our search went beyond the city hall lot and, according to Chris, we recovered 80 percent of their vital documents. As we stood amidst the rubble with bags of papers, the county clerk we were working with said, “Well, I guess we have to dig graves now.” I explained to him we could use our skid steer to help.

So just a few hours ago the First Response Team did something I never thought we would do: dig graves with the local high school kids using shovels. It was so strange because I never thought I would do something like that in my life. Tim and the kids worked hard, especially on one that needed to be dug double wide for a husband and wife to be buried together.

Chris introduced us to Jason Johnson, the sheriff of the county. They offered to get us a hotel, and thanked us for coming to help. We will meet them tomorrow at sunrise in Parkersburg to again help out in any way we can.

May 15, 2008 - Picher, OK Tornado

2008-05-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

After the response phase of a disaster, we often help people clean up their home lots…but not here. This community will not rebuild so people are returning just to get whatever valuables they can before leaving for good. It’s sad because most of what I see in disasters is people rebuilding and finding hope in the rebuilding process.

Today I saw a man stumbling through a pile of rubble that used to be his home. It looked from a distance as if he was having a difficult time walking around the home site. I walked up to him and asked him if he needed help with anything. At that point most of what we were doing in the community was lifting up large objects so people could find personal belongings.

The man looked at me and without hesitation said, “See this home? I don’t care about any of it. This used to be a beautiful two-story home with four nice cars, and I could care less about it. All I want is to find a green briefcase of photos of my mother who passed away years ago.”

His name was John. I explained we could help and minutes later we had the Prentice loader and CAT skid steer pulling apart this man’s home piece by piece. A few hours later Seth thought he found the photos but it turns out there were two green briefcases, and this one did not have the pictures in it. We kept at it and later that afternoon we found the green briefcase of pictures. I will never forget seeing Seth and John standing in the middle of this huge pile of rubble that used to be a home – looking at photos. At that point nothing else matter to John. He didn’t care about anything except that briefcase.

I’m not sure if this is because people are in shock but I have yet to meet someone who has been through one of these disasters, who looked at their home and said, “I can’t go on.” I have only met people who have said, “I’m so glad my family and friends are alive. We can rebuild these homes but we can’t replace our friends and family.”

May 13, 2008 - Picher, OK Tornado

2008-05-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

The past few days in Picher have been filled with a lot of hard work. We have done everything from clear roads, pull cars out of trees, and help homeowners find their belongings by removing roofs, walls, and cars from their former homes. We have been so welcomed by this community. The locals have offered us places to stay, and the fire department has fed us.

Still, the situation here is sad. The tornado that hit Picher was an EF4 and destroyed almost 300 homes. At the time, the city was in the middle of what is called a “government buyout”. Years ago Picher was a thriving mining town but now many of the mined dirt piles are allegedly contaminated. Very few volunteer organizations have come to help due to the contamination. The Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Convention, and the First Response Team of America were the only help that arrived – and we are still the only ones that showed up with equipment.

When we first arrived, we were on standby with the generator and within 24 hours we were able to jumpstart the sewage system in the town. We were also told that our hovercraft may be needed since there were still some people missing, and it was speculated that some people trying to escape from the storm in their cars may have been thrown into the lake. Unfortunately, it was true – the dike holding back the lake was dug out, the water drained, and the bodies recovered. The situation in Picher was sad…there were bodies found in trees, homes, and cars. The city moral was already low due to the mandatory government buyout and now everything these people had left was destroyed – giving them no choice to rebuild and forcing them to move out.

May 10, 2008 - Racine, MO Tornado

2008-05-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tim, Seth, Rob, David and I sat down in a cool coffee shop today just to catch up and talk about something besides work and disasters. Our plan was to get some coffee, have a good dinner, I would get back to my computer to take care of emails, and the guys would go see a movie. I usually always have my laptop with me so as we were at the coffee shop I noticed weather reports were coming in about multiple tornado warnings and watches. A tornado had just touched down a few hours away on the border of MO and OK. With one eye on the computer and the other on a map, it was not long before our planned day of rest was over. We headed to the hotel, grabbed our bags, started the trucks, and headed out.

Just a few short hours later we arrived in Newton County, MO, around 11 pm. We pulled over at a small gas station to look at a map and talk to some local people when a fire fighter came up to my truck. He explained that just up the road was his firehouse. They just called off the search and rescue for the night due to downed power lines everywhere but there were still houses and debris blocking their way into town.

We drove a few miles up the road to the firehouse, introduced ourselves, and explained how we could help. The firefighters were so happy we were there and explained the challenges they were having getting through the debris. I decided to head down to the emergency manager’s office to introduce myself to the man in charge (whose name I won’t give.). I always find out who is in charge. In some cases it’s the fire chief, sheriff, or mayor but in this case the county had an emergency manager. I introduced myself, explained what I had been told by the fire department in Racine, and let him know what resources were available to him free of charge.

For the next eight hours he had me wait there and kept saying, “I’ll call you when I need you.” I attempted to get his attention on two separate occasions and explained how the fire department in Racine was in need of our help – but since he was in charge of the county’s emergency management I was not going to do anything without his permission. He finally said he and his people did not want any help. I thanked him for his time, shook his hand, and wished him luck. I left the county offices and returned to the Racine fire department to tell everyone of the emergency manager’s decision. Everyone was sad because help was badly needed.

As we were saying our goodbyes, one of the firemen got a call on his cell phone. Someone from his family was found dead in one of the homes, and he broke down in tears. I was so upset that we could not help there but I had to respect the wishes of the local government leaders. The team followed my lead, and we started the trucks and headed out of town to a neighboring city that got hit by the same tornado. Though I was upset I knew there was a job for us to do – if it was not in this town, it would be in the next one.

We arrived in Picher, OK, by 3 pm. The road was blocked but the police officer called the fire department explaining that help had arrived. Two hours later we were escorted in to the city by the fire department. They provided us a place to park all of our equipment right in the heart of town next to the fire house where it would be safe and watched 24 hours a day. We then began talks with the city mayor and fire chief about where our equipment was needed the most.

May 9, 2008 - A Rest

2008-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

The nearest city is Springfield, MO. We just arrived and are going to stay here until our next response. This may be a good place to get some laundry done, get some good food, and hopefully the men can get some rest. There are a few things we need to repair on the equipment, which we will get done tomorrow in the morning.

May 3, 2008 - Ava, MO Tornado

2008-05-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

The drive to Ava, MO, was not as easy as we thought. Most of the roads were windy and mountainous. We arrived in Ava around 12:30 this morning. The town was as dark as could be. We found the streets surrounding the nursing home and walked them by foot with flashlights. We had to make sure that the roads were big enough and the trees were cut back enough to bring our tractor trailers through and also that we could get close enough to the nursing home.

All the nurses and many of the patients were congregated in the darkness in the dining room. It was the coolest room in the building on this hot summer night. When Tim walked in to find out who was in charge and the nurses found out we were there with the generator, he was bombarded with hugs. It turns out the Red Cross told them we were coming, and they were anticipating our arrival.

Earlier in 2008, we added a 230KW multi-output generator to our fleet specifically for the purpose of powering up hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes, and other emergency and governmental buildings. At this point I’m glad we did. The facility property manager, Steve Wilkerson, and his wife, Angie, greeted us. Over the next few days we were able to get to know Steve, Angie and many others at the nursing home as we came to power up their nursing home as well as pull some of the very large trees off their property. At times I would see our cameraman David playing a piano in the dining room while singing along with residents of the nursing home surrounding him in their wheelchairs.

May 2, 2008 - Damascus, AR Tornado

2008-05-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

What a long day. I woke up at 3 am watching weather patterns and listening to local and national news. There were so many threats of tornados, and one after another they started coming down from the clouds in multiple states. There were many along the Missouri and Arkansas border but it was hard to tell how severe they were.

Around 8 am I spoke to someone at the emergency management offices for the state of Arkansas, and they confirmed that the city of Damascus had been severely hit. The equipment was packed in the trucks and ready to roll since we just finished the clean up in Des Arc the night before. We said our goodbyes to Sandra and the judge and headed out of town. Three hours later we arrived in Damascus. There was no way to block off the disaster zone because a main highway ran right through Damascus so it was easy for us to pull directly into the area. We parked our trucks on the side of the highway, and the men began to unload the equipment. The reports I was getting from the emergency managers on site were that three people had been killed and everyone else had been accounted for. Considering what the place looked like, this was good news.

As we were unloading the equipment from the trucks, my phone suddenly rang. Somehow a small town Red Cross representative got my number. The person on the other line went on to explain they got my number from emergency officials in AR, and they were in desperate need of a generator. Two adult communities and one nursing home had been hit by a tornado in Ava, MO. An estimated 87 people were gathering at the nursing home, and the town had no power. There were people on critically important breathing machines and other life-sustaining equipment, and they had no money to rent a generator large enough for the facility.

Standing in the rubble I had to make a decision. The situation in Damascus was bad but the search and rescue had been completed, and people were out of the rubble and safe now. The people of Ava, MO, needed power – some of them for machines that could save their lives. I decided to head north to Ava.

April 28, 2008 - Des Arc, AR Floods

2008-04-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

Our first task in Des Arc was to clean up a few neighborhoods of mobile homes along the river. The floodwaters at this point have receded by 60 percent. The roads were open just enough for us to get in with the equipment. Because the flood levels stayed up for so long everything in these homes was extremely heavy, stinky and molded. Many of the citizens could not even get things like couches out of their houses because they were so heavy. We helped in any way we could and found the people to be very thankful. They would say things like, “We have no clue what we would have done if you had not come. Our belongings would have stayed here for months in all these homes.”

We are going to be here for a few days. There are many homes and neighborhoods to help out in. The water came in so far in some areas it’s unbelievable. There is a judge in this small town, and it sounds as if he’s regarded as an unofficial mayor. He owns the nicest restaurant around, which is on a riverboat. He treated the Team and I to dinner, and we had a great time eating and talking with the local government and emergency leaders as well as many people from the community.

April 27, 2008 - Des Arc, AR Floods

2008-04-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

Des Arc, AR, is only 4 hours south of Norfork. This city was our first stop with the rescue boat when the floods began four weeks ago. But for some reason the floodwaters at Des Arc did not recede much; the area is low so the water stays stagnant. When the rivers rose a second time, it only brought the water higher. Today, floodwaters finally began to recede.

We arrived very late tonight and were greeted by Sandra Patterson, County Emergency Operator Center Director. She was so thankful we were there to help their community. Small towns have small budgets and not much equipment in the municipality except two trucks and some small road repair equipment.

There were no hotels within 40 miles so Sandra offered us an old hunting cabin to stay in. It turns out it was where she and her husband were staying as well. Tim, Seth, Dave and I crashed in a room full of bunk beds. I’m having a hard time sleeping tonight because there are so many reports of potential tornados. We will finish what we came here to do but I always want to be aware of potential large deadly tornados happening elsewhere.

April 25, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

2008-04-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

We have decided to head back to Norfork, AR. It’s been only two weeks since we finished cleaning up flood debris from almost 100 homes in Norfork, and now, two short weeks later, those homes flooded again – but this time the flooding was worse than before. Reports indicate the water rose two feet higher, causing even more damage.

Before we left two weeks ago, the First Response Team and Norfork Fire Department went out to dinner. We bonded quickly while working together to help the people in the community, so when Norfork flooded again there was no question in our mind that we should return to help.

It was strange to go back and see many of the same faces and houses again. But this time instead of removing wet rugs, furniture and personal belongings, it was new sheetrock insulation and furniture destroyed by the floods. It was sad to see the progress made in the two previous weeks destroyed. I can’t imagine the disappointment these people must be facing, and I hope us coming back to clean up the same mess again will encourage them to not give up.

April 5, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

2008-04-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

This morning we met with the fire chief at the firehouse at 4:45 a.m. There were no incoming phone calls from the 911 Coordinator or the Army Corp, so by 9:00 a.m. we made a few phone calls and confirmed that the high alert threat was over. The threat of potential flood waters hitting the community for a second time was over. This was a huge relief considering that this small community was severely damaged just two weeks earlier.

At this point many of the citizens were visiting the firehouse, curiously intrigued by this great big black grapple truck and hovercraft in front of the firehouse – an odd sight to see in this small rural town. Once the citizens of Norfork heard that we were here to help remove all the furniture, sheetrock, and various debris from their houses, they were so happy. We got to work immediately and within two days we were able to clean up all 80 homes. Even I was surprised at how fast we were able to clean up these neighborhoods. Baxter County sent out 14 local dump trucks that Tim was able to load. One after the other, Tim loaded each truck only taking a few minutes each.

It didn’t take long to grow close to this community. So many people came out and talked with us and the local heroes—their firemen. I was so moved by the fire department in Norfork. It was clearly evident by their actions how much they cared about their citizens. They had already worked tirelessly for weeks after the first flood, removing damaged household goods and sheetrock, and piling it by the roadside. They had also pumped 97,000 gallons of water through the houses, washing the mud out by hand.

Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team then came to do a job that needed special equipment that this county lacked. Debris had begun to smell so bad through the neighborhoods it was becoming a health hazard and many wells began to test positive for e coli.

Exhausted by the enormity of the work we collectively completed, we all went out for a big steak dinner Saturday night. To express his sincere gratitude, one of the homeowners whose houses we cleaned up gave $1,000 dollars for the first responders to eat out. As Tim and I stood in the parking lot that night, and it was time to say goodbye to the fire chief and his team of heroes, we began to realize how quickly we’d grown to be part of this family. I never thought hugs would be in order with this group, but they clearly were. I never imagined that a bond of brotherhood could develop in such a short period of time and that we could develop such a close bond with new friends. But then again, not much surprises me anymore.

I’m glad we were able to help Norfork AR. I’m hopeful that we will all meet again someday. I’m thankful for our new friends.

April 4, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

2008-04-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

So here I sit, on this wood floor, in an old ballroom in the hills of Arkansas. The only place for me to spend a few hours and get out of the rain is this community center in a small town called Norfork. This cold room looks just like one in an old black and white movie where a small town would gather on a Friday night for a community dance…just one big room with a wooden floor, two bathrooms and a make shift kitchen. We came to this small city to do something so simple: remove everything from one hundred homes destroyed by the floods two weeks ago. It’s become a routine and simple task for us to remove rugs, furniture, cars, and mud. It would just take a few days with aggressive equipment, where it would take this small city a month with its resources.

But today there was more to do than just clean up debris, which is what we came here to do. We had to work with the local fire department to warn of potential flooding in the community again.

You will often find in disasters that the person in charge is the one who picks up the responsibility. It does not matter if there is a mayor, police chief, sheriff or fire chief, when these storms come in and destroy homes, even the person who is suppose to be in charge gets shocked to see the only place he has ever called home destroyed – as well as his own family and friends killed.

In this case the man in charge was Fire Chief Frankie Baker. From my first impression Frankie is a simple man, humble and reserved, but when the pressure is on, Chief Baker knows how to call the shots. It is easy to see how his volunteers trust him and why they would follow him into a burning home.

Frankie’s task at hand is great. I was introduced to him because he is the one in charge of the cleanup of the flood disaster debris. After touring the community, I sat with him and his crew in the firehouse presenting and explaining the best plan of action for a complete cleanup of debris, lifting the spirits of all as cleanup begins.

As we laid out the strategic plan, 911 Director Tom Fisher, who is second in command to the county judge, walks into the room. The mood changed rapidly as he began to outline new weather-related developments. Just north of the small city are two dams. Norfork Dam is holding back 500 miles of shore, and Bulscholds Dam holds back another 800 miles of shore. Tom explained, “The water is at the floodgates, gentlemen. We are expected to get 4-6 inches of rain in the next two days but if we just get two of those inches the dams will not be able to withstand the pressure, and the floodgates will need to be let open. Norfork will experience flooding worse than what just came through. The Army Corp of Engineers will alert us when two inches of water comes and will only be able to provide our city one hour to evacuate. After that…it will be too late.”

We all agreed the best thing to do was to go to all the communities along the river and inform them of what is expected. Tim, Chief Baker and I jumped in an ambulance and announced like a broken record to one house after the other, “Gather your belongings, jewelry, titles, valuables…get them in your car and evacuate if you want to play it safe. If the rain comes, Norfork could get flooded again and all the homes along the river could be affected.” We also explained that if the Corp opens the floodgates people in their homes along the river would only have one hour to evacuate.

The first few houses went okay. One gentleman who was so old and fragile said, “Can you help me get some of my things to higher ground? I’m too weak to get outside. It’s so cold, and I’m not well.” We helped him with whatever he needed. When the fire chief and I got to the fourth house we were invited into the hallway—the wallpaper straight from the 1970’s—and while standing in the dim light, we warned the occupant of the potential flooding that may happen again. For a split second I wondered what it would be like to have a place I called home for 45 years, and the thought of all I had and had ever held close potentially being destroyed. I could only imagine, and then my mind got caught up again in the job at hand.

The chief explained that many of the roads were washed out and said the only way to warn some of these people was via the river and a loud bull horn. We told Frankie this was his community, his people, and whatever he needed us to do we would do.

All of my equipment is here in Norfork. Fire Chief Baker, and his men and women, are glad we are here to help. If the warning turns into reality we will deploy our hovercraft into the river to warn all the adjacent homes that the final evacuation must take place. Since there will only be one final hour and four small cities exists along the river that need to be warned, traveling upstream toward the dams will be our best and fastest method. Cells phones do not work well here, and there is no guarantee of power lines or landline phones working. The chief says the river will be the fastest route. I hooked the hovercraft to Chief Baker’s four-wheel drive truck. If this event takes place the roads will wash out. Those who do not make it out of their neighborhoods in time will need to be rescued.

One of my dear friends told me a beautiful story a few days ago. He was putting his 3-year-old daughter to sleep and just when she could hardly keep her eyes open she said, “I love you daddy,” and softly drifted to sleep as her beautiful little face rested against his neck. He said, “Tad, words cannot explain how special that moment meant to me. It will stay in my heart for an eternity. And someday, you and your men will save lives so that some dad can experience one of the most special moments in his life just as I did that night…and that one life will make everything you do worth it.”

May we always have strength to persevere in life. To endure the challenges, but even more so, to look forward to those moments when you can say to yourself it’s good to be alive. Someday again soon, the sun will rise on this small town, and the skies will be so blue and beautiful. As for now, I feel we have given this community an opportunity to evacuate but my hope is that the rain holds back and the community does not flood again.

April 3, 2008 - Norfolk, AR Floods

2008-04-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

We stayed in Clarendon for about a week until the river situation was stabilized. We had a chance to work closely with the officials in charge, monitor the levees, keep looters away from all the homes that were under water, and help with water pumping when the levees had small seepage.

Reports were coming in from another struggling community about eight hours away. I have not yet decided how many storms I will respond to this year. At some point I am going to have to get back and focus on my for-profit contracting company but for now we are not that far away – and I hear the town has lost up to 100 homes.

I want to do something with my life besides just working, making money, and living the American Dream. Don’t get me wrong…I would love to have a home and a decent car to drive but I want something a little more than that – something money can’t buy. I know there is something more in this life than just working and making money, and I want to find out what that is. For now I’m just going to keep doing what it is I’m doing here. Creating the First Response Team with specialized equipment, technology and staffing. Why? Because it needs to be done. From what I can tell so far we are the only ones doing it and communities in America need this kind of help.

I hope I never lose the passion to live a life worth living, to be a part of something so much greater than myself, to invest in funds that never lose their value…a Wall Street in the clouds if I could be so dreamy.

March 26, 2008 - Clarendon, AR Floods

2008-03-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

From what we could tell on the news, Arkansas was getting ready to get hit with some major flooding. At this point I had already been working with a specialized company in Eau Claire, MI, who would design us a specialized hovercraft for water rescues. Hovertechnics agreed to have the boat ready within 24 hours. This special boat has the ability to hover off the ground, allowing us to travel raging rivers, glide safely across iced-over lakes, and patrol and perform rescues in flooded downtown communities reaching those trapped in their homes. Boat ramps aren’t the norm in flooded communities so to compensate for this undeniable challenge the hovercraft will be able to float over asphalt roads, gravel, and grassy fields.

We spent months consulting with some of New York’s best fire chiefs and thanks to Steve Lebretto, Mattituck NY Fire Chief, and Captain Joseph Frohnhoefer, President of Sea Tow International, we were able to strategize on the best unit to perform water rescues in many unknown conditions in the unpredictable disaster zones of the United States.

We seeing reports about a small city in Arkansas called Clarendon and surrounding Monroe County. We arrived in Clarendon to learn that the town geographically is a soup bowl surrounded by raging rivers and lakes with nothing to hold back the “sea of terror” but a dirt wall. In many aspects it reminds me of New Orleans. The small rural town is lower than the surrounding waters but kept dry through engineered levees. But these levees are not as sophisticated as the tall concrete ones I have seen in New Orleans. These are simply dirt. If a small muskrat decided to dig a whole 2 inches big, within 10 minutes the city would be under water.

If you were to look at a map you would find the Cash and White Rivers funneling directly into the city. As I stand on the wall of dirt, below me is this quaint little American town, with schools letting out and kids riding their bikes down Main Street…but behind me is a river that is already 6.4 feet above flood stage. In 1973, a flood destroyed this town when the river rose to 35 feet. Presently the river is at 32.4 feet.

This afternoon the Team and I sat down with County Judge Larry Morris and Allen James, the president of the Levee Board. Judge Larry was openly nervous about what could happen to this community over the next three days as the rivers continued to crest and explained that 6 other housing communities were already under water in the county. Time stood still for just a moment in this old catfish diner. Here I was in this small restaurant, with walls full of pictures of local fishermen proudly displaying their prize catfish, and large glass windows where you could see Main Street folks carrying on with their daily small town lives.

I asked the judge questions for the next 45 minutes and then presented a disaster preparedness plan for the city and county. I explained that we had a dirt bike equipped with GPS and a Satellite phone. We could use the dirt bike to scout the 6.2-mile levy that surrounds the city 24 hours a day. We could alert the police department of any breaches so they could evacuate the community if needed.

I also explained how we could use the hovercraft to monitor the outside of the levy as well as visit all the homes succumbing to the water for possible evacuations.

I also offered the use of an 1800-gallon per minute water and trash pump, which should be positioned so that if the levees were breached we could begin pumping immediately.

Next, we had to address water rescues. Neither the city nor the counties were armed with proper equipment to handle water rescues. The county judge recommended I meet the sheriff, who rerouted 911 water rescue calls to us. Sheriff Barry Henard and Byrl Shaw, the Officer of Emergency Services and a former Lieutenant Colonel in the military, welcomed us and expressed thankfulness for us being here with them through this difficult time.

We toured six housing communities that were under water—thankfully the homes were all empty. We will continue to monitor these communities in case homeowners try to access their flooded property before floodwaters receded. We will also be working with Sheriff Barry to monitor the waterways and patrol for looters trying to burglarize flooded homes.

The atmosphere is full of so many emotions. There has already been great loss in Monroe County but there is also a sense of fear and anxiety in the air. We are here, and we are not going anywhere. My hope is that the six communities that are already under water will be all the loss this county suffers. We will monitor the levees and will be ready to pump the water out if any breaches occur – but it is my hope that’s as far as this disaster will go.

March 15, 2008 - Flood Season is Here

2008-03-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and the flooding is beginning in the middle part of our country. So far, the idea of a rescue boat and water pump as part of the First Response Team has just been an idea. But the floods are upon us, and I believe if we have this equipment as a permanent part of the First Response Team we can respond quickly to not only open up roads but also to rescue people from their homes. We can even use the high powered pump to empty water out of buildings the city really needs to begin again, such as hospitals or town halls. We can’t help unless we are equipped, and we can’t respond quickly unless the equipment is on the trucks with us. It’s time to add this equipment to our resources.

February 28, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

2008-02-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

We have been in Prattville for over a week. From what we are being told from the local government, the National Guard will not bring in any equipment and FEMA has decided to show no support. The First Response Team has been working side by side with the local municipality workers and whatever equipment they have available to them. There is no doubt that we have made significant progress in this community. Thanks to Edward we also have a hotel room to sleep in, which we are very thankful for.

Today I was talking with someone, and I noticed a sophisticated looking man out of the corner of my eye, leaning up against his recent model pickup truck. He walked up to me and tried to speak but his lip began to quiver and nothing came out of his mouth. I knew he wanted to say something but because he was holding back his tears so hard nothing would come out. Finally the words came out of his mouth and with tears coming down his face he said, “That pile…that pile of my house…you cleaned it up for me. I can't tell you…you’ll never know how much it meant that you came and helped me. I feel like I can start again.” The man turned around immediately and walked back toward his truck and drove away. I don’t think I will ever have a chance to meet that man again. I don’t know who he was or which home site he lived on but I can’t help but be moved by what happened today.

I constantly find myself wondering what it is like for these people to lose everything. I’m not sure I will ever know until it happens to me but I do know I want to keep being here for these people and these communities as more disasters continue to happen in America. I wonder sometimes if it’s not necessarily what we do for these people but that something is happening…and happening quickly. It translates into that fact that it won’t be this way forever – progress is happening, people care, and the rebuilding process is beginning and will continue.

February 19, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

2008-02-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

This morning Edward set up a meeting between the mayor, his staff and myself. I was interested in putting a plan together that will speed up the process of opening up the roads and cleaning up the homes for the citizens of Prattville…which at this point would hopefully boost their wavering moral.

I recommended that the city provide me with as many dump trucks that were available to them from within their organization as well as surrounding counties. Within hours the Prentice loader operated by Tim Wolkowicz was loading dump truck after dump truck for the city free of charge. The grapple truck dwarfed every piece of equipment we were working with and the citizens were coming from everywhere wondering what all the commotion was. So many expressed their thanks as we went from house to house cleaning up what was left of their homes.

February 18, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

2008-02-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

Online reports indicated that 200 homes and 40 businesses were affected by another tornado. There was no indication whether the storm caused total destruction or whether the houses sustained minimal damage. The reports were inconclusive but from what we could gather the storm was bad so we decided it would be best for us to respond.

We arrived in Prattville, Alabama, eight hours later. The city was somewhat in a daze. Traffic was everywhere, and there was no heavy equipment brought in to help. The federal government provided no aid and the National Guard came with no equipment – just volunteers. We were the only ones who came with equipment to clean up the streets and neighborhoods. Within 30 minutes of my arrival I met the local leaders who were in charge. Edward Clinton, the Director of Solid Waste for Prattville, welcomed us into the city and within no time Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team was working side-by-side with the city workers and their limited equipment.

We began to open up roads within hours of our arrival but I was interested in finding out what resources this small community had to see if there was a way we could work together.

February 5, 2008 - Lafayette, TN Tornado

2008-02-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

Tim and I were in PA working on the equipment. A local paint shop let us use their facility to take apart one of the CAT skid steers for some mechanical work and to give it a new paint job from damage it sustained from the CA wildfires of 2007. It would have taken about one week to go through the whole machine and get it ready for the 2008 storm season.

Even though we were taking some time to work on the equipment, we would still watch weather patterns in case something developed. We were not expecting anything big to happen so early in the year but then out of the blue there was a deadly outbreak of tornados. From what we could tell at that point it was one of the deadliest outbreak of tornados in TN history during the month of February. Many cities were hit with the same system but Lafayette seemed to be particularly devastated.

The problem was I had equipment in NY, PA, and TN, as well as some of the Cat equipment in pieces. Usually we could respond and depart within hours but this time was different: We needed about 24 hours. We knew we had to respond and that we had to move quickly. Tim worked through the day and night to get the CAT ready to roll, and I headed out to get the grapple truck fueled and ready. Twenty-four hours later we were on the road to TN. The trip was not easy. Tim was tired, and I was feeling run down. By the time we arrived in TN, I was feeling so sick Tim dropped me off at the local emergency room and headed on to scout out where we would be needed most.

There were so many areas hit by the tornados we first had to decide which city and state we should respond to first. Tim quickly found out that Lafayette was hit the worst, with 180 homes destroyed and 14 deaths. Tim later picked me up at the hospital – I had an advanced case of the flu – and we got a hotel room for a few hours of sleep. We arrived in Lafayette that next morning and spoke to some of the men and women in the emergency operations office. They asked if I would help in those who had lost homes and churches. We were given all access passes to anywhere in the city and was told of a neighborhood that had total loss. Upon arrival, we realized there was a church positioned right in the middle of the neighborhood that was destroyed.

Grace Baptist Church was built 25 years ago by the community. After speaking to a few neighbors, they informed me that Jerry Wix, the pastor who founded and built the church, lived just five houses up. I knocked on his door and his wife answered. I explained how I was from Long Island, New York, and was there to offer my help. We could take down the church, clean up the property, and of course, we would provide this help free of charge. She could not believe it and explained that her husband has been so upset. He had been crying and so anxious about what to do next. A few minutes later I met Mr. Wix, an older man in winter work clothes whose eyes were water logged from the past few days. Soft spoken, he was still in a state of shock. I explained that I was there to help him, his congregation, and his community. He did not know what to do but give me a hug, so I embraced him back. The pastor wondered how we could somehow save the steeple. Assuring him this would not be a problem, we agreed to demo the church along with any other houses in this community of people who we knew were in need.

We were so drained from our travel and from pressing forward in our desire to help those devastated by these tornados that I didn’t realize how sick I was becoming. I was weak beyond belief and finally had to admit it was more than exhaustion…I was coughing up blood. I later called the hospital to find out the results of my test. They said I had some kind of debilitating case of Influenza A–one I obviously ignored for a bit too long. The people in the community were so nice and were thankful for our help. But, before we knew it, another tornado struck south of us in Prattville, AL. This tornado destroyed more homes and businesses than had been destroyed in the TN town we were currently helping. Guess where we headed next!

December 10, 2007 - Washington State Floods and Windstorms

2007-12-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Washington State. There was not much more we can do in Vernonia except help with getting food in. The released the prisoners from the jail to help with the debris cleanup so we decided to come up to Washington to see if we could evaluate the situation here.

We headed toward Chehalis and then to the coast to a city called Aberdeen. There were bridges and train tracks out due to the intense flooding. In fact, one flood took a whole bridge down and washed it away.

There was one river basin full of more trees than I have ever seen in one place in my life. As far as I could see were massive trees that the raging floodwaters of the river brought down from the mountains. It’s hard to put into words. It must have been an amazingly powerful force that would take 120-foot trees—some 8 feet in diameter—and pile them up in a little town. It will take months just to remove them, and this probably happened in hours. The sun is going down but we will return in the morning to see if we can find someone who is in charge here. If they would like we can remove all the mud the rain brought in. As of now it looks like most of these people do not even have a clear path into their homes.

December 8, 2007 - Vernonia, OR Floods

2007-12-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Vernonia, OR. We wasted no time getting here, and the trip was long. Seth and I kept on switching out driving since he has a CDL. Toward the end of the 30-hour trip we were doing a few hours each just because we were so tired. A trip like that—after working 8 weeks straight—was tiring to say the least. Thank God Tim was there to keep us up. His positive attitude and love for the next adventure ahead of us in the Pacific Northwest was contagious.

We arrived in Vernonia, once a beautiful little town along a river. Now, there was mud everywhere and a chill was in the air. The houses were still standing but everything in them was destroyed. 750 out of 1000 homes were completely flooded. Everything the people owned was lost, including their food. Many people were pulling everything out of their homes and laying them on the street for the eventual pickup of debris. We can help out here with cleaning up the streets full of debris.

As Seth, Tim, and I were walking along the streets by the river looking for those in need, a lady pulled up and said, “Can you boys help me bring these heavy bags of dog food into that schoolhouse?” We agreed and moments later we walked right into what would be Vernonia’s temporary food bank. There were two ladies there who received the dog food and thanked us for the donation. I immediately asked what this one small room of canned food was and a young girl explained that this was the new makeshift food bank. The original food bank was destroyed in the disaster and everything was lost—food, checkbooks, ledgers, etc. Before the flood this food bank fed 20% of this city, and now there will be much more in need—in dire need.

She went on to explain that the OR food banks were already struggling this year. She shared how the people in her town don’t have meat, milk, cheese, or even pots and pans. The floods brought in farm animal waste that contaminated the homes and even the pots and pans were covered in toxic debris. I stepped outside the old building along the now calm river and made a few phone calls. Within one hour David Kieser, president of the Midwest Food Bank, agreed to send out a tractor trailer to aid the city of Vernonia. David has special relief packages of full startup kits for families who have lost everything. They have pots, pans, towels, cleaning supplies and food. He is also going to send frozen food, meats etc.

I’ve got to tell you, this was the first time I have ever been put in this position. I have never had to help in a situation like this one before – to simply provide food for people in dire need, and it felt good. It was amazing. I’m thankful for my connections, and I’m thankful people trust me enough to send out trucks.

I will never forget standing in the cold night in that small town of Vernonia, with the mountains surrounding us, and knowing that help was on the way to feed these people. So many of the reports that I got were that Vernonia was stable but it looks like that information was incorrect. I’m glad we decided to come here. Times like this make all we do worth it.

December 5, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-12-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

I guess you can say it’s bad timing…I guess I would like to say a lot of things. For now all I know is that on November 26 someone, somehow, from one of the places where we purchased food, fuel, or lodging, got a hold of my AMEX number and has been having a grand ole time for the last 10 days. We’ve been so busy helping people that I did not know someone was helping themselves to my bank account.

I’m kind of angry at the person who did this right now. We’re out here doing good things, and why did this have to happen? I’m just trying to be honest. Although I feel this way, in my heart I know it’s wrong. I know God has nothing to do with this. It’s just the world we live in, and I refuse to let things that are dark change me.

I suppose life will always be challenging and bad things will continue to happen to others and to me. People will disappoint us, people will hurt us, and sometimes when we are looking the other way people will take advantage of us. I am human and fully aware of my shortcomings but I hope I will always find just enough strength to stand – and not let the things of this world change who I am and who I want to be.

In the words of the musician Andy Zipf, “Keep On.”

December 1, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-12-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Morning came quick today. I woke at 3 am as if I was not even sleeping. The wind was howling, and I decided to go for my daily run. There are no lights up here so running through these mountains in the dark can be adventurous. But the morning hours seem to be the only time to clear my head. Well, maybe I should say in theory they should be the only time to clear my head but lately I have had so much on my mind that anxiety of what is next seems to take precedence. The cold, strong wind froze my cheeks after 20 minutes so I decided to head back to the hotel.

I knew the rain and wind was going to pose some challenges for us in the mountains today but I can honestly say I was not expecting what developed over the next few hours.

We got in the car and headed up to the reservation, and everywhere we went the roads were blocked by state troopers due to all the landslides that happened through the night. After explaining to the authorities that we positioned equipment on different parts of the mountain the day before and were heading up to help open the roads, they wished us luck and let us through.

The first obstacle we encountered was a truck sunk deep into the mud. We left the rental car on the side of the road and headed in by foot. What we saw next was a first for all of us. Roads were washed out so bad that the rock and dirt that once was the base for the roads were gone. Asphalt hung suspended in the air without anything underneath except a vertical cliff down the mountain.

Along came an Indian with a very old four-wheel-drive pickup. It was one of those trucks designed to climb rocks so we decided to hitch a ride in the back for about one mile. Along the way, we discovered a dog that was killed by the avalanche. As the Indian picked up the dog and laid it in the back of the truck by our feet, he sadly explained that the dog was his – and told us how proud he was of his once beautiful, strong mastiff. Tim and I locked eyes and knew what each was thinking without saying any words…and continued to look at each other as blood poured out of this man’s best friend. We eventually looked up the road to survey the task at hand: opening these roads so that the people stranded and blocked in by the mud, rocks, and trees could get out.

We finally made it to our first Cat 252B Skid Loader. We went to work without even letting the cold machine warm up. I took the first shift but then handed the machine over to Seth so I could talk with the Indians coming from their houses. Many of them had been waiting for someone to come open the roads so they could escape. They explained how everything happened so quickly. We worked at a rapid speed for hours and then finally brought in the grapple truck.

We reached another area near the Indian reservation that had flooded so badly that the mud was five feet deep and mixed with boulders and trees – and when I say trees, I mean all of the trees…including the root systems. Seth began to extract the large logs from the road and load them one by one into the holding bodies.

As we ventured farther into the reservation we saw mudslides and washouts like we have never seen before. One part of the mountain had a 60-foot crevice carved out. Everything in the mudslides’ path was either destroyed or moved, including large boulders. But by the end of the day all the roads were opened. It was quiet though and not many people returned.

The weather is changing rapidly here. It’s cold, windy and rainy. From what I can tell we don’t have much more time to get things done. Another storm system is coming in a few days, and there is still more to do.

We have positioned our equipment once again. This time we placed a Cat loader at the firehouse and another one at the tribal council’s main offices where people will gather in case of another emergency. The wind is starting to blow stronger as I write this. I can hear things clanging and banging outside our hotel. Tomorrow morning will be here in a few hours.

I’ll say a prayer before I go to bed. Give us strength, speed and safety…help the Indians to make it through the continual challenges they face and that lie ahead, and if it’s not too much to ask for, we would love to be home with our families and friends by Christmas.

November 30, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-11-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

It is now Day 36 since we have left for Southern California. From our first day on the Indian reservation we have worked day and night, seven days a week, Thanksgiving and Sundays for one reason—to get the home sites cleared so FEMA can get trailers in before the expected rains and mudslides hit.

Today, Friday, November 30, marks the completion of the home sites we were asked to clean and prepare for trailers but today is also the day the rain began. For the last few weeks I’ve been getting up every morning at 3 am with my heart pounding and my mind running. There are so many things to think of… this idea I have for the First Response Team…how will it work? Should I keep paying for this? Will we get this done in time before the rains come?

At dawn, we pulled the grapple truck out of its safe parking area and headed into the mountains to extract what would have been the last few loads of metal and ash remaining. But then it started to rain. By the time we got rain suits on we were completely soaked. Within 30 minutes we found ourselves in a predicament. As our crane began to sink into the ash and clay, we immediately realized there wasn’t much time to figure out what action to take. Before we even knew what was happening, the crane started sliding sideways down the mountainside. There was a tractor trailer not too far from where we were working so we called to him for help. He positioned his equipment on the nearby roadway allowing us to create a stabilizing rigging system.

We have prepared for these types of worse case scenarios. Without delay, Seth hooked up a custom cable sling, latching it onto all main pulling points of the crane with equal pulling pressure. Tim speedily began combining chain-after-chain-after-chain, which we then secured to the assisting tractor trailer fixed firmly on nearby asphalt. FEMA was calling and letting us know that landslides were beginning to cover surrounding highways and insisting that there was no time to save the truck. Our hearts were racing as mandatory evacuations were declared and nearby neighborhood roads were being engulfed with mud.

At this point, all of our hearts were pounding. I did not want to lose my $310,000 crane truck but I also wanted myself and my men to be safe. As we tried the first pull away, the 65,000-pound crane again started sliding sideways down the hill. Luckily, the crane crashed against a huge pile of metal and stopped. We repositioned the slings, cables, and chains and 45 minutes later we finally recovered the rig.

Before we evacuated, we took the two CAT skid steers and placed them in separate locations on the Indian reservation. We picked the areas we thought would get hit the worst and left the CATs there. When the rain stops we will return, and if the mud does not take away the machines we will use them to dig these people out.

We began to find our way down the mountain by Highway 76. We were told that the road was closed by mudslides but no one knew where. We decided to head south and found ourselves in a little town called Julian. It’s safe here. The mountains surrounding us have trees on them to hold back the mud. The fire did not hit here. We will stay here tonight.

I’m relieved that Seth, Tim and I are safe. My equipment? Well I guess we will find out in a few hours if it made it. We found an old hotel to stay at. Right now, the weather outside sounds like a scary movie. The wind whistles through this old building like…well, I just can’t explain how it sounds. The rain is crashing against the window so loud it sounds like someone is taking their hands and beating on the side of the wall.

This is the day we were trying to beat and in a way we did. We got the home sites done but today the pressure was on. We evacuated successfully, and we are safe. What else could you ask for? Now if I could just get my heart to calm its beating I might be able to get some sleep.

La Jolla is the poorest Indian reservation in the area as they have no casino and no thriving business to keep financial resources coming in. But….La Jolla is the first Indian reservation to be cleaned up and the first for trailers to be brought in for people to live in. The federal government cannot believe the work we have performed in such a short period of time, and the tribal council is so proud to say their reservation is on its way to a full recovery.

I’m proud of my men, I’m proud of our equipment, I’m thankful for all of our friends who have stood by our side, encouraging us to keep on, and I’m thankful we are safe.

The poor Indian tribe of La Jolla has something to be proud of again, and they are rebuilding their lives and facing new challenges with newfound assurance that they can and will overcome.

This is why Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team exists—for moments like this. To persevere hand-in-hand with those who have lost everything. Sharing in the hope that we can and will overcome every obstacle. Nothing is impossible, and better days are ahead.

Life will always be full of challenges. May we always find the courage to face the impossible and never give up. And when I can’t find the strength inside me, may I always be given the grace to be reminded that help is a prayer away.

November 19, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-11-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

I never thought we would be here this long but we are. Thanksgiving is coming up fast…only two days away. Thanksgiving morning we will not wake up to the usual aroma of gravy and stuffing. Tim, Seth and I will still be here at La Jolla, sifting through ash, lifting piles of metal, crushing burnt cars, and franticly trying to get these home sites clear. The winds are coming on Wednesday; they might start fires again. The rain is coming; it could be here any day. What is ahead is almost impossible to prepare for. How do you hold a mountain back when the hills, as far as the eyes can see, begin to slide? I feel the urgency as I sit in this makeshift cabin two miles outside the Indian reservation. Though the sun has been down for hours, my heart is beating in such a way that I want to get back out there and begin work. But we must rest and get some sleep.

At daybreak we begin again. The sooner I get the charred lots clear, the sooner trailers can be brought in and stocked with clothing and food. Communication has not yet been established. The phone lines are not connected yet and even if they were, where would they connect to? If another fire starts, if the mudslides begin, how will all the Indians in these mountains know the danger that befalls them?

I never cease to be amazed how disasters change people. We don’t have many stories because the fact remains most of these Indians have left their destroyed homes. But the few we meet are thankful we are here and, more amazingly, they are thankful for what they have left. As I have said before, fires destroy everything and leave nothing behind. But what we would call junk, what we would call charred garbage, is what they call theirs.

Yesterday Tim and Seth ventured up a gravel road that was so questionable we weren’t even sure if it was a good idea to take our highly-specialized and valuable claw truck up it. We walked the road first. Seth thought he could handle it, and we agreed to pioneer to the site. Later this evening Tim shared with me that two women came and explained how they would like to watch as Tim and Seth grabbed debris and loaded it in the truck. Obviously the guys agreed but only found an old car jack, some weights, and a knife. Out of nowhere one of the ladies said, “This might be nothing but junk and metal to you, but this is my metal and junk.”

I’m not sure if I will ever truly understand what that lady meant. What would make a melted pile of metal and ash so meaningful to someone? I don’t know but I’m glad we helped this lady find those few items. If it means that much to them, then it means something to me.

Sometimes I feel such a disconnect from those we are helping because I have never truly walked in their shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I have had loss in my life – mostly those I loved and miss dearly – but no matter how many times you have gone through loss, it’s as if it’s happening for the first time.

God, if you are out there, give these people enough strength to make it through each day…for this too shall pass.

November 5, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-11-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Working up at the Indian Reservation has been sad. Most of the Indians have dispersed to other areas since their homes have been destroyed. While sifting through the ashes we find bowls of coins, jewelry, and sometimes papers that would obviously be valuable to their owners. Finding two diamond wedding rings yesterday was the highlight. All we can do is leave them on the site we cleaned as there is no one to even give them to. The reality is there is nothing left, nothing to even begin to start over with. I know that when the people return home to the Indian reservation they will be encouraged to find their home site cleaned and will find hope to start over again. The chief is so thankful that we are here to help. We interact with him a few times every day but you can tell the fires and enormous losses have made a lasting impact on him. I hope better days are ahead for the Indians.

Although surrounded by devastation, it has been a great experience to work with the firemen. Often we see them trying to cut up and pull trees that have fallen close to the road. Many of these trees are too big to manage with saws and manpower. We stop along the highways and help the firemen with the equipment we have. They desperately need assistance and are always so appreciative of our help.

In a few weeks, FEMA will be bringing in trailers for these people to live in. I hope this will help them feel like they can get back on their own land and begin again. Tomorrow morning we will be sifting through the ashes of a trailer that belonged to a waitress. She says she kept hundreds of dollars in change in her kitchen. I hope we can recover that money for her. Soon the rains will come and these mountains will experience tremendous mud slides due to lack of trees and vegetation that once held the dirt and rocks in place. We will continue to work here and help these people.

Novermber 1, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-11-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I participated in a meeting this afternoon held at the Salvation Army in downtown San Diego. A group of volunteer organizations got together to take inventory of what resources were available. We turned out to be the only ones with heavy equipment and connected with a man by the name of Don Hargis, Director of the CA Southern Baptist Convention.

Don was excited about the heavy equipment we brought from NY. He explained that he heard about an Indian reservation called La Jolla that was in need of help and asked me to join him for a meeting with the governor’s chief of staff later that evening on the reservation. Of course I agreed.

We had only been in CA a few days but when we arrived at the La Jolla Indian reservation I can tell the damage was bad. From what we could see, more than 150 homes were destroyed and 8,000 acres were burnt to the ground. Most of the Indian reservations in this part of the country have casinos but this one does not, which means they don’t have much money.

We met with the governor’s people only to find out that no one has insurance here as well. There is a push to get home sites cleaned up and to get trailers moved in as quickly as possible in order for some of these people to get back to their home sites. I took a quick tour of the reservation only to find out that most of the roads were old and dangerous and had many overgrown trees encroaching on roadways. Not only will we have to clean up these home sites but we will also need to repair roads and cut our way through so there is enough room to pull out the destroyed homes and bring new trailers in.

As hard as I try, I simply cannot put myself in the shoes of these people. Tonight I sat in a meeting with the Indian tribe leaders and heard their discussions about the difficulty ahead. Now that the vegetation on the mountain has burned away, and with the heavy rainy season just a month away, mud slides will be devastating. And as the ash washes down into the water system, they will face the further challenge of a contaminated water supply.

There are obviously not a lot of resources here. I hope we will be able to help this community get back on their feet.

October 28, 2007 - San Diego Wildfires

2007-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived in San Diego, California at 5:00 this morning. On the trip out we discovered that San Diego County had the most devastation compared to the rest of Southern California so we decided that would be a good place for us to start. We drove straight through – seventy-two hours later we are here, and we are safe. We quickly determined that the most devastated and poverty stricken area is a mountain community called Ramona. For the first time in my life I saw vast mountains, once full of lush green trees and beautiful homes, reduced to nothing but rock, dirt and ashes.

We met with a man who owned a large avocado and palm tree farm. It was astonishing to look up at the mountain full of scorched trees. I did not know what to say to the man. He had his hands on the side of his truck, looking up at what was once his beautiful farm. Seth put it best…”What do you say?”

We will seek out those who are in need. Our next stop is the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and many other humanitarian organizations that are descending on this area to help. We are the only ones who have responded with heavy equipment and cranes. If any of these organizations need assistance with accessing closed areas with food, water, and nurses we will help make a way. After that we will seek out those who have experienced total loss, have no insurance or are under insured. There is much to do here.

October 26, 2007 - San Diego, CA Wildfires

2007-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

It’s 4:00 am on Friday morning and the decision has been made to respond to the fires in San Diego, California. As of now, the reports are saying 516,653 acres of mountains and homes are on fire. All of these fires are still burning, none of which are contained. The devastation will be great for the people affected by this disaster. Hurricanes, tornados, ice storms and floods will often leave many valuable and sentimental things unharmed but fires consume and destroy everything, leaving families with only memories of what once was.

The last 12 hours have been difficult because the decision to go from New York to California will be costly. It’s a lot easier to respond to a disaster in New Orleans than it is to respond to one all the way across the country. At what point do you take the yellow pads full of crunched numbers, crumple them up, throw them in the garbage and decide that when those families return home to a pile of ashes, we want to be there to help? That time is now.

Thanks to all my friends who encouraged me to respond. To Andy for saying, “Do what you know you’re supposed to do, besides you wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.” To Bobby for saying, “Isn’t this why you started the First Response Team, to help people?” To Steve for saying, “Go with your gut. The worst decision you can make is no decision at all. Fuel that son of a gun up and get out there.” Thank you Tim and Seth for responding within three hours of my request to go and for so many others who encouraged me to go and helpedthe details come together.

We will leave Long Island, New York, in a few hours with a 2007 Sterling truck equipped with a hydraulic crane and crushing head with a capacity to hold 120 yards of disaster debris; two Caterpillar 252B front-end loaders equipped with hydraulic grapple heads, an American Express card and some cash. I’m not sure if passion is enough to get you through life but I’m sure I wouldn’t make it without it.

May 26, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

It’s 5:00am, and I just arrived in Lancaster, PA, where one of my employees lives. I’m not sure why I’m sitting down to right this blog but I just feel like there is such a need for the type of help I gave Greensburg. I’m not sure if my idea of responding to disasters to open up roads is good enough.

There was such chaos and confusion after the storm. No one could get around; no one could talk to each other because cell phones were down. There was no power, no way to pump water and not even the right equipment to perform rescue operations because the firehouse was destroyed. I think if I’m going to respond to more disasters I need to add some other equipment to the fleet.

Not only do we need the grapple truck and skid steers to open up roads, we also need a generator large enough to power up hospital emergency rooms and nursing homes. When the power lines, phone lines and cell phone towers are down, we need to be able to provide satellite phones and laptops to local officials in order to communicate their needs to the outside world.

I think GMRS/GPS radios would allow us and the local responders to talk with each other to help with a more organized disaster response. I think a dirt bike would serve us well in scouting out the disasters. In fact, a dirt bike equipped with GPS and Sat phones could travel over logs and other debris looking for those who need medical attention in the wake of the storm. I think a dirt bike would be good in flooding situations as well, monitoring levees and alerting communities of potential flash flooding. A water pump and rescue boat would be good to have on hand. From what I see, these fire departments don’t have the budgets to have specialized equipment like this on hand.

It’s hard to rest after seeing what I have. I didn’t want to leave Greensburg but I think it was good I did. It’s going to take some thought into putting together this first response team, but I think I should take some of these ideas and do something about them. The need is there, and I think I can help.

May 24, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Mennonite? They have no conventional insurance. Their houses, barns, farms, equipment and cars are insured by each other. When they get sick, they care for each other. When they get old, they care for each other. So, if you were a Mennonite who lived in Greensburg, what would your new life be like after the storm?

Well I’ll give you just one example. One farmer of lost everything he owned – his home, his barns, $700,000 worth of farm equipment and his trucks. What happened next is still hard for me to believe. His fellow Mennonites came. They came with tractors, they came with trucks. They came with food and found housing for him and his family. They took down his old house and are presently making preparations for the new one.

How do I know this? I had an opportunity to work side by side with these men. It would take too long to write about everything I have seen, but I can tell you this: They came into that city from hundreds of miles away with whatever equipment they had on their farm to help anyone in need. They were organized, writing up work order after work order, supplying their own food, fuel and shelter. Why? Because that is what they call community.

I am planning on leaving soon. It is a hard decision to make – partially because I have grown to love the people here, but also because I’ve enjoyed being with the Mennonites.

May 23, 2007 - Greensburg, KS tornado

2007-05-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today I received a phone call that encouraged me beyond words. It was from a group of men whom I respect as expert truck builders. One reason I know they’re good is because they have enough patience to deal with all my phone calls when I have technical questions about my crane, day or night.

Nevertheless, Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team’s strongest asset is their state of the art equipment. It takes a large team of experts to put together these trucks as well as a facility that would make the GM plant look like a hot dog stand.

The men involved are Rodney, Bob, Dean, Daryl, Bill and Mike from V&H Trucks. All of these men play a key role in developing equipment and keeping them running. What touched me so greatly is these men called me and expressed interest in supporting the First Response Team. Unfortunately, neither they nor I know in what capacity they can help. This is my first trip responding to a disaster. Daryl has offered to fly in and help for a few days and has even gone so far as to collect money for our fuel. But what was so touching is that they simply wanted to help.

Thank you, V&H. Thank you for the trucks you have built for me already, and thanks for expressing an interest in being involved.

Thank you Rodney for taking care of the details. Thank you Bob for helping me spec out new equipment and keep them going. Thank you Dean for finding me the best financing. And thank you Daryl, Bill, and Mike for keeping the cranes going.

May 22, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you were given a choice to take one thing before you left your house for the last time, what would it be? It could be a difficult question for some but for others it would be easy. For me, I would have to say pictures.

Today as I was ripping houses apart wall by wall with the Prentice loader and tossing them to the streets as if throwing a baseball, I saw many things. Kitchens with once-new appliances, offices with nice desks, and closets full of clothes. At one point, I ripped a whole floor up with one grab, and there below lay a beautiful train set in perfect condition. Most people stood and watched as if they knew it was coming, just like putting the trash to the curb as they do every Wednesday.

But…………there below deep in a basement I could see from 20 feet above……….a picture album. With precision I reached down with the crane, barely grabbed the edges of the album, and lifted it out of the basement. As I placed it on the driveway, the homeowner ran over, grabbed the album and held it close to his chest as if he had found his lost puppy. I sat on the crane in amazement as I looked down on him.

A few hours later, I parked the crane for the night, and at the end of the block I could see an elderly man and woman rummaging through what was left of their house. I introduced myself and let them know I was the one who removed their house and hauled it to the road. As they thanked me, I saw out of the corner of my eye another photo album in a 12-foot hole where the foundation of the house once stood.

What happened next amazed me. Without hesitation, this very old man quickly made his way down the vertical dirt wall, sliding, falling into this deep hole. Within seconds he was standing over the photos, calling up to his wife and telling her of his newfound treasure.

I have no words except to say I don’t understand what these people are going through. I can honestly say to you, I don’t understand. I’ve tried but the fact is I have lost nothing. What are they thinking, how do they feel, and what do they do next?

I keep thinking I’m going to leave because the expenses are too much for me to handle, and the wear and tear on my equipment is too great but I can’t go just yet. There are still more people to help, and I can help with my equipment. If this were my home or my community, I would want help.

Today was my birthday.

May 21, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today started out feeling like a regular day for some reason. I was helping someone who had no insurance clean up their property. As I was finishing, I noticed there were dozens of orange state and county trucks lined up on the sides of the roads. Apparently there was only one front-end loader available to load the trucks with debris. I asked who was in charge of all the trucks, and a man in a pickup truck explained he was the supervisor. I asked if I could help load the trucks, and he said yes.

So I looked for the biggest piles of debris I could find and began to load one truck up after another. It was going so fast that trucks from all over the city started to come to get loaded so they could haul debris out of town to the dumps. One after another, it was only taking me about two minutes to load each truck. Because the crane sits so much higher than a front-end loader, I could see over the truck beds and really pack it in.

At one point there were so many trucks lined up behind me that I did not want to take the time to move forward to the next pile so I started pulling debris out of what was in my truck box. I loaded 10 trucks with what was in half of my truck. It was amazing to me how much larger my truck was than those traditional trucks.

The day ended unexpectedly with something I think I will remember for the rest of my life. A group of citizens and volunteers went out to dinner at a restaurant 40 miles outside of town. Throughout the dinner everyone was talking and laughing, and I could not help but sit back and watch people who have lost so much laugh…and laugh really hard. I’m still amazed that in the midst of all this loss people can still be thankful.

May 20, 2007- Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

A church with only six members was destroyed. Where the beautiful historic building once stood is now a large hole where a foundation once was next to a newly erected large blue tent. The view from the tent is destruction as far as the eye can see, along with what’s left of an antique organ wedged in a tree.

It’s Sunday morning, and I could not help but come to be a part of Greensburg’s first church service. As I sat down to this meaningful event, I could not help but notice that people were coming from all over to participate in this service. Even the members of the National Guard showed up. The makeshift pews made up of plastic chairs were filling up quickly. Then who takes center stage but Wes Carlton…but this time, instead of overalls he wore a suit and in place of the America flag baseball cap he wore a cowboy hat. He also had a guitar.

I’m not sure what was going through this man’s mind but I do know this: he could care less that his church was demolished and piled up in some farmer’s field on the edge of town. What Wes Carlton cared about was that the people of his community came to church. His smile was contagious, and his love for those people was evident.

A husband and wife got up to sing a song together. She had bruises all over her face but didn’t seem to mind to stand in front of everyone to sing. Have you ever heard the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul“? Have you ever heard it sung by an 80-year-old man who just a week before stood holding his wife in a closet while his house was ripped apart wall by wall?

Pastor Wes pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. On it was the sermon notes and tears rolled down his face as he read his thoughts and shared his Bible verses. But they were tears of joy and thankfulness. As I saw this man preaching among the destruction and debris surrounding this little tent, I realized something. Life is precious. Nothing mattered at that point but people.

Can you explain a sunset so that people understand what you saw? Or can you explain the joy of when your first baby was born? Can I explain what I saw in these people today as they sang “It Is Well With My Soul” while standing in piles of debris as far as the eye can see? I cannot but I can say everyday is a gift.

May 15, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote earlier in the week about a man I met when I first arrived in Greensburg. His name is Ken Graham, lead project manager for a company called Philips and Jordan. Ken came here to find work for his company. When I first met Ken, he was a bit surprised that I came here with this expensive equipment to help out for free. But I think as we have had a chance to room together for a few nights, he has seen what I have done for this community, and he realizes that I’m really here to help.

Today, instead of Ken doing his daily routine of meeting with local officials such as the mayor, public works director, the county commissioner or the city administrator, Ken walked around the city block-by-block looking for people who needed help. I asked him over breakfast this morning if he could help me find people who needed help.

And sure enough he found somebody! Ken came up to me around noon and asked me to come meet the pastor of the Greensburg Baptist Church. He explained they had no money or insurance but they wanted to clean up the lot to erect a tent in anticipation for the first church service since the tornado struck.

Ken and I walked about 5 blocks to where the church used to be. I met a man who introduced himself as Wes Carlton. He was an older man wearing overalls, a baseball cap with an American flag and carrying a cane. You could tell the church was huge and the pile of rubble was enormous. There were bibles and hymnals thrown everywhere. It was obvious this was the largest church in Greensburg, and it would mean a lot to the community to have a place to pray sooner rather than later.

The job needed to be done so I decided to start immediately. This was by far one of the largest buildings I had ever demoed but one scoop at a time I began to dig away at the debris. It was amazing to see how fast the crane was working. Everything was flying through air – church pews, children’s puppets, a library, an alter and finally a picture of Jesus.

At the same time I was working, I could not help but notice out of the corner of my eye was Ken Graham, this stranger I met just a few days earlier, lead guy for one of the largest disaster recovery companies in the country, wearing a hard hat, safety vest and digging through the rubble with shovel in hand.

Moments later he pulled a sign from a pile that said “Greensburg Baptist Church”. Ken held it over his head for a brief moment for me to see, then walked it over to Pastor Carlson and proudly handed him the sign for his church. I think in some small way today represents that Greensburg Baptist Church is not gone – only the building is gone. The church is still alive and well. I don’t know why working with Ken today left such an impression on me. I think it may have been the fact that instead of Ken meeting with the governor of Kansas to talk about a business deal, he chose to help this small-town church get back on its feet again. Later that day, Ken put on some gloves and worked with five kids to erect a large tent in preparation for the Sunday service.

May 12, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

The days are getting longer. It’s 3am and I just got to the hotel. I want to write now so I don’t forget these days but I just can’t seem to keep my eyes open.

We finished demoing the house and cleaning up the lot for the man who lost almost everything. It was a bit emotional for me. The Prentice loader and hydraulic head would reach down and grab large pieces of debris such as walls, roofs, couches, beds and kitchen cabinets. We then crush and pull them out of the former home site and place the debris in the large metal boxes in front of and behind the crane.

This man’s wife who was killed must have loved making clothes. There were rooms full of magazines and books on how to make dresses, cabinets full of fabrics and closets packet with hundreds of colorful dresses. It was a bit surreal…the sky was so blue but the wind was blowing hard. Each time I would lift a pile of clothes to place in the truck, the wind would blow some of the dresses out of the grapple claw and the through the air.

I wonder if life is more precious and more of a gift than I often consider. I hope I can remember to try and make each day count. If I was this man I don’t know how I could move on. All over this town I see where people have painted on brick walls, sides of homes and cars “God Bless Greensburg”. God if you’re out there…please bless Greensburg. Have you ever heard that statement before “live everyday as if it was your last?” This place is sure making me think a lot about what is important in life.

May 11, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

It rained today. The water began to wash away the dirt and dust that covered the roads that were now cleared, and I could see for the first time the black asphalt of the roads. The firehouse is almost completed, and I began looking for other people who were in need.

A man pulled up to the crane truck and offered me 250 dollars an hour to clean up the lot where his house used to be. I kindly explained that although the money would be nice, I was here to help people who could not help themselves. I explained that contractors would soon be coming in to help him but I was looking for people who did not have money to clean up their homes, had no insurance or were underinsured.

He first looked at me like I was nuts, but then he was so taken aback that I was helping his community in this way that he responded by saying, “Son, if you need anything while you are here just let me know. I have another home 20 miles outside of town. Whenever you need a clean bed and a good meal, you give me a call at this number, ya hear?”

I’ve been so impressed with the ability of these people to remain positive and persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Many of the farmers who live on the outskirts of town are here with hand tools, pickup trucks and anything they have to help the community.

I needed to get around town and find out where I could be of most help. I had a new F150 Pickup truck in the back box of the crane. I hooked up the aluminum ramps, drove the pickup out and began to drive around and talk with people. I just started talking to random people everywhere. I pulled up to one man who had some sort of homemade bandage wrapped around his arm. You could tell the bandage was not working because blood was all over his arm and hand. He told me about a man who lost his wife in the storm. She was in their home when the tornado hit. The house had no basement, and there was nowhere to hide. But there is more –his business was destroyed and his only employee was killed. When I asked where he was, this man whom I just met explained the guy was at the hospital, visiting his father-in-law in the intensive care unit.

The local church in Greensburg contacted the man, and he agreed to have his lot cleaned up. Whether he has insurance or not, we are going to help him so he does not have to worry about getting his property prepared to rebuild again. I’ll start on it tomorrow and work with a group of local high school kids who can help rummage through the mess and set aside anything that may be of value or meaning to this man.

I cannot even begin to imagine what this man is going through. I can’t even imagine.

May 7, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I slept in my truck last night. I did not want to pull out and leave the city in order to find a hotel. I think it would be best to stay close in case something comes up and they need the crane. I brushed my teeth standing next to my truck using a gallon of water. The Red Cross is starting to come in with food so it looks like I won’t have to worry about food while I’m here. Most of the town is gone anyway so there would be no way to buy food.

Doyle asked me this morning if I would take down what was left of the firehouse. He said it will be the first building they will want to rebuild. Of course I agreed and began the process right away. Instead of just throwing it to the side, I loaded it into our truck, which holds 120 cubic yards. I then hauled the debris to a farm field, which Doyle said they would use as the new dump.

While I was working on the firehouse, a group of local farmers came up to me and asked if I could come over and help disassemble what was left of the bank. When I asked why, they explained that it looked as if three large metal rafters had damaged the vault and water was beginning to seep in – which could possibly destroy important personal documents such as deposit/withdrawal slips and deeds to farms. I agreed to help and within 3 hours – and 8 Mennonite farmers equipped with sledgehammers and a chain saw – we finally accessed the vault. The vault is now covered with a temporary roof to protect important information and valuables.

Hotels within a hundred mile radius are full! But I met someone who is graciously allowing me to stay in his hotel room whenever I can find some time to get some sleep. I met him yesterday morning. He came up to my truck and said, “What are you doing here with this equipment? There are no contracts for any work here.” His name is Ken Graham and he works for a company called Philips and Jordan. He seems like a nice man and supposedly his company played a major role in cleaning up the disaster in NYC that happened on 9-11. When he heard I was here to help out for free and that there were no hotels available for 100 miles, he told me I could stay with him at his hotel about 35 miles out of town.

May 6, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado

2007-05-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I recently arrived in Greensburg, KS, where an EF5 tornado destroyed a whole community just three nights ago. What am I doing here? I will try to explain.

For the past few years I have worked on government-funded projects to clean up after hurricanes, which is a process that usually begins about 2 months after a storm strike. Usually over a 4-8 week period the federal and local governments work together to assess the damage, release funding and hire contractors like me to come in to clean up the mess.

Yet when I would arrive 2 months later and see the mess and destruction that remain, I could not help but wonder what it may have been like for those communities when the storm first hit. What would I have found had I arrived on the first day, the first night? What chaos, confusion and despair must there have been? What help could I have been then?

At some point we have all turned on the news and have seen graphic aerial photos and videos taken from helicopters of communities devastated by natural disasters. I recall a few vivid scenes of people like little ants rummaging through what is left of their community and trying to find friends, family and neighbors that may still be alive. I also recall scenes of people on roofs, waiving their hands, waiting for someone to come get them because floodwaters have taken over their homes. Who helps these people in these desperate times of need?

When a tornado is so powerful that it takes homes, tractor-trailers and commercial buildings and throws them through the air and drops them on roadways…who moves that debris? How do the fire trucks and ambulances get through? How are the people in need of rescuing reached? If the whole town is destroyed including all the equipment in the local municipality, what do they do to simply open up roads?

I did not know the answer to these questions, and I had no one to ask…so I decided to find out for myself-which is why I am here in the small town of Greensburg, KS, writing this blog from my truck.

Two nights ago I arrived about 50 miles outside of Greensburg. I had been driving for about 20 hours at that point and was on the lookout for diesel fuel. I figured there would be no fuel available in Greensburg since the reports I was hearing said the town no longer existed.

It was about 3 am when I saw in the distance a small country gas station with one fuel pump. I pulled up slowly in the darkness as my large black crane truck with flashing emergency lights dwarfed this small country service station. I began to fuel up the tanks with diesel when out of the corner of my eye I saw a man standing alone in the dark cool night…watching me. When I finished fueling and began to walk in toward the office to pay the man began to walk toward me. As he got closer I realized he was a bit beat up looking and wearing raggedy clothes. Without hesitation he said to me, “Are you going to Greensburg? My daughters, I have three but one is missing. Her name is Jessica, she is a veterinarian, she is about 5’6” and if you see her could you tell her that her dad is looking for her?”

I felt like I was in a dream. I slowly walked pass the man as our eyes connected and all I could say was, “Yes, if I see her I will let her know.” It was one of those moments where you thought more should be said, but I just did not know what to say.

I paid for my fuel, got back in my rig and headed on down the road toward Greensburg. About 20 miles up the unlit country roads I saw a sign for a hospital. I maneuvered my way into the hospital parking lot, parked and walked into the E.R. A nurse stopped to ask if I needed help, and I explained I was there trying to find out some information about what is happening in Greensburg. She called in a local police officer to talk to me.

We shook hands, and I explained I was here with this large Prentice crane truck equipped with a specialized hydraulic crane head that could help open up roads. He explained that they were not allowing anyone in Greensburg at the time and that every road was barricaded off. He said that was all he knew, and he wished me luck. I decided to get back in the truck and continue into Greensburg until I hit the first roadblock.

Sure enough a few miles up the road I pulled up to a fireman who was standing in the middle of the road. As I rolled up I shut down my engine and rolled down my window. I could see he was dirty and had most likely not slept since the storm hit. Before I could say anything, he picked up his walkie-talkie and said, “Hey chief, Disaster Recovery Solutions is here” as he read the name of my company off the door of the truck. A voice came back over the radio saying, “Who the hell is Disaster Recovery Solutions?” The fireman responded, “I don’t know boss but you better get out here and look at this truck. This guy might be able to help us.”

I was instructed to pull over to the side of the road and wait till the man in charge could come out to meet me. As the sun began to rise I saw what I had never had the opportunity to see before - a community that had just experience the wrath of Mother Nature. I was able to see in front of me what was left of this small country town. It literally looked like a bomb hit. As far as I could see, everything was virtually leveled and whatever was still standing was beyond repair.

Moments later a small beat up truck pulled up. The man who stepped out of the vehicle introduced himself as Doyle Conrad, public works director of Greensburg. I explained to Doyle that I was there to help and wanted to open up roads free of charge. He was a bit nervous after seeing the big crane truck and wondered if I was telling the truth and if I was really was there to help for free. He explained he needed help clearing a path to the firehouse so that the fireman could get whatever was left in the firehouse. I agreed to do whatever he needed. He asked if I would sign a piece of paper promising I would not charge him anything. We walked over to his truck and – on the hood of that truck – I wrote on a crumbled up piece of paper that I would not charge him. We shook hands, he pointed toward the direction where the firehouse used to be and wished me luck.

I could not believe what I saw that morning. Fully loaded tractor trailers blown from across town blocking roads; huge 70-foot steel I-beams intertwined with building debris, blocking intersections. All I could do was use the crane to drag things to the side of the road. I began to take notes on other equipment that I would need to add to my fleet next time I responded to a disaster, such as torches and plasma cutters.

Just a few short hours later I cleared the debris leading up to the bumper of the fire trucks. Concrete I-beams weighing thousands of pounds pinned both of the trucks down. The firehouse and trucks were destroyed and beyond repair. The fire chief was standing by as I made my last dig with the crane. The firemen were able to access their destroyed trucks and recover important tools and equipment they would need to help their devastated town.

I was so distracted at the task at hand that I did not have time to look around me and take it all in…until a woman walking through the rubble right in front of me collapsed. Two others walking nearby came to her aid and as I sat there atop my crane looking down at this woman, then looking at the devastating destruction as far as I could see…I realized I was no longer going to use my equipment to come in two months after a disaster to make money. Instead I was going to use my equipment to respond to disasters on day one and through those first few critical days and weeks until help arrives.

I began to realize at that point that many small community resources are probably insufficient to deal with a large scope disaster. And when a storm does strike, whatever resources communities have to help themselves will also be destroyed.

And who is going to come help these people with specialized expensive equipment? There is no money to be made here. There is no customer for this type of help and work. In fact, before any money is to be released to contractors to help these communities, federal and local governments need to make assessments, which usually takes 4-8 weeks. Personally, I understand the process. Before millions of dollars are released to help communities, assessments should be done so taxpayers dollars are spent appropriately.

Nevertheless, something needs to be done about this. Equipment is needed on day one and from the looks of this disaster, I have a feeling more than just a crane truck is needed.