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| Tom Corbett, 65, checks the equipment in his Red Cross bags to make sure they are ready for immediate response to an incident. Corbett has been a disaster relief volunteer for almost 30 years. He is shown at his New Fairfield home on Thursday, May 19, 2011. Photo: Michael Duffy / The News-Times Sometimes the offer of a toothbrush or a hot cup of coffee is just what is needed when one's life is quite literally in flames. It may not seem like much to most people, but local American Red Cross disaster relief volunteers and those they serve say such simple gestures can seem more precious than gold to a family watching their house burn down. They are tangible comfort -- instruments of hope, they say. "You're bumping into people at the low point in their lives, the worst they've ever bumped into ... and a lot of the time you can't do an awful lot," said Tom Corbett, of New Fairfield, a disaster relief volunteer for 25 years. His role and that of the other 1,000 Red Cross volunteers in the state is not to do a big fix, but to provide emergency provisions -- food, clothing, shelter -- to help an individual or family survive from one hour to the next until they can begin to grapple with the bigger picture.  He said he has arrived at house fires in the winter to find people standing outside in pajamas, with no shoes. "It's all about reaching out to people, to let them know there is someone who cares and is willing to help them get through the red tape," said Corbett, a retired New Milford school administrator and New Fairfield civic leader. He started with the Red Cross in the mid-1980s, when the gymnasium of the former East Street School, where he worked, was used as an emergency shelter for flood victims. "You do a lot of listening and sharing with them, and then try to give simple advice based on your experience," he said. From their first call, Corbett said, the volunteers' job is to reach the scene as quickly as possible, assess the immediate situation, and ensure the individual or family is safe and has someplace to go -- even if it's inside a Red Cross vehicle or van for a few hours. Depending on the victims' needs, Red Cross volunteers can provide gift cards that allow them to purchase essential clothing and toiletries, as well as arrange motel stays and places to eat until more permanent arrangements can be made, Corbett said. Once the immediate crisis has been addressed, the volunteers begin helping people contact other family members, address insurance issues, and determine if they are eligible for local and state social service assistance, Corbett explained. If a fire alarm in a house goes off at 2 a.m., Connecticut Red Cross chapter spokesman Mario Bruno said, it is unlikely the occupants stop to pick up their wallets and a folder of insurance documents. If such key information is lost, victims must go through the ordeal of proving who they are so they can access their insurance, get medication refills, even pick up children from school, Bruno said. The Red Cross can help navigate the bureaucracy. The goal of the disaster action teams -- volunteers usually work in teams of two or three or more, depending on the situation -- is to get people through the first 48 to 72 hours. After that, the Red Cross can be relied upon to help families assess what must be done on a longer-term basis, including getting counseling, Bruno said. "The idea is to provide a compassionate presence so (disaster survivors) don't feel alone in their recovery," he said. The Red Cross, a nonprofit relief organization, relies strictly on the generosity of the American public for all the services it provides, including disaster relief. Nationwide, its staff and volunteers respond to some 60,000 disasters a year, Bruno said. In Connecticut, the Red Cross handles between 500 and 600 disaster cases, and 90 percent are single- or multi-family home fires, Bruno said. For each case, the Connecticut Red Cross typically provides about $1,000 in direct financial assistance. Last year it gave about half a millionthinkable. They "bring some sort of order and control into the chaos," Facey said. "They are excellent. They dollars to disaster survivors statewide, Bruno said. New Milford Fire Marshal Karen Facey said Red Cross volunteers offer a brand of "friendly assurance" and comfort to people confronted with the unare a really nice resource for us." Contact Nanci Hutson at nhutson@newstimes.com or at 860-354-2274. |
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
TOM CORBETT A RARE BREED OF SELFLESS VOLUNTEERS ... THANKS TOM!
