Catt's Disaster Pages
Chronology
1966 - Traveling with my father and grandmother
to North Carolina to visit my Uncle Nick and his family, we encounter
a terrible car accident along Interstate 95. Despite sweltering
summer temperatures, my father stopped the car along the side of the
road and dashed across the highway and median to pull victims
from the wreck. Once the victims were safely away from the
burning debris, Dad stood on the highway and directed traffic around
the wreck until emergency crews could arrive. I think this was
the first time I realized that my father was a hero. I had just
turned eight years old.
1972 - Days of relentless rain swell the usually
placid Susquehanna River from a normal depth of 6 feet to a crest
of 32 feet, displacing hundreds of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
residents. As one of the lucky families living on "the hill,"
we were personally unaffected. The American Red Cross opened
shelters in high schools and junior high schools across the city.
Edison Junior High School stood less than a half block from our house
at 17 South 19th Street. When the call came out for volunteers,
this fifteen year old girl reported immediately to the Red Cross.
I worked in that shelter for three weeks, manning the registration
desk, working in the kitchen, babysitting, typing and handling a
variety of tasks as needed. After some very turbulent years, I felt
useful, competent, needed and appreciated. I was enthralled, and decided that
someday I was going to work for the Red Cross. A calling was born.
1992 - Recovering from a painful divorce, and the
poverty that resulted from long-term injuries sustained in a car accident, I
discover that the Red Cross offers free classes in disaster response.
I sign up for classes at the Central Arizona Chapter in Phoenix.
Within weeks, I am an active member of the Disaster Action Team
(DAT), and am responding to fire and other disaster calls. Unlike
any other work I have ever done, this work makes me feel vital,
valuable, and alive.
1998 - Moving back to the Midwest, where I spent my
early adult years, I contact my local chapter, but for a variety of
reasons do not yet become active as a responder.
February, 2001 - After several years of freelance writing, I
feel the need to get out from behind my desk and back into the world.
I am becoming reclusive, and need to find something worthwhile to do
outside the house. In February, an ice jam on the Rock River causes
local flooding. The evening news reports that the Red Cross has
opened a shelter and I call to volunteer. Twenty minutes
later, I'm on my way to work the overnight shift. Two weeks later, I
spoke with Emergency Services Director Gary Shivers, asking about
employment opportunities with the Red Cross. There is a full-time
Americorps *VISTA position
available.
April, 2001 - Almost thirty years after my first
Red Cross experience, I join the Quad-Cities Chapter as full-time
Disaster Responder. I take my oath of office (the same oath given
to the President of the United States) for Americorps on my 44th
birthday, April 19. On April 20, I return from my Americorps
training in Chicago to open a shelter on what would become the
Mississippi River Floods of 2001. In six short weeks, I gain
experience in staffing, in managing local disaster volunteers, in
doing casework for flood victims, in distributing food, water,
and cleanup kits, in assessing damage on flooded properties, and in
managing administrative paperwork. In the process, I have made new
friendships that will last a lifetime.
September 11, 2002 - Terrorists attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, causing one of the greatest disasters in American history. Our local chapter is overwhelmed with local volunteers wanting to help. Hastily, we set up a three-month schedule of training classes, while mobilizing over 30 local volunteers to serve in New York City and Washington D.C.
December, 2001 - January, 2002 - During a break in the training schedule during the holiday season, I am able to find time to serve in New York assisting victims of the World Trade Center disaster. For three weeks, I have the honor of helping many New Yorkers have a happier holiday. The experience is both deeply rewarding and emotionally intense. Check back for the soon-to-be-posted excerpts from my journal during that time - "3 weeks at Ground Zero: A Red-Crosser's Journal."
Currently - I continue to volunteer with through my local chapter, responding to local and national disasters, and training other disaster volunteers.
Disaster Links
American Red Cross
The national site
American Red Cross of the Quad Cities Area
My local chapter
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Be sure to check out the FREE independent study courses from the Emergency Management Institute
Disaster Relief Organization
Worldwide disaster aid and information via the internet.
Disaster News Network
Worldwide disaster news - free newsletter
