NATION Volunteers help out in disasters

There's been a 20 percent increase in the number of individuals who volunteer in the United States.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- One person might not be able to do much in a disaster, but an army of volunteers could make all the difference.
Several area organizations are building that army, just in case.
After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, "we got almost 60 new volunteers right away and we've added more since then," said W. Russell Preston, executive director of the American Red Cross, Mahoning County chapter.
Several of the new volunteers wanted to go to New York, but they weren't trained. The Red Cross trains volunteers to help in local and national disasters, the armed forces emergency service, and health and safety programs.
"Most of the volunteers who came forward after Sept. 11 are interested in serving in the disaster and armed forces emergency services," Preston said.
Definitions: Disaster volunteers help victims of house fires, hazardous waste spills, floods or other calamities.
Armed forces emergency volunteers relay emergency messages, such as birth notices, to military personnel and coordinate their return home in a family emergency.
After completing formal Red Cross disaster training, volunteers are paired with an experienced disaster team member. Once qualified to serve in a local disaster, they may receive training to help in a national disaster, he said.
National disasters -- anything too big for local volunteers to handle, such as the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, or the tornado that hit Trumbull County and Mercer County, Pa., in 1985 -- may trigger an influx of volunteers and an increase in donations to the national Red Cross, Preston said.
It is still important, however, for donors to remember local Red Cross chapters. The Mahoning County chapter, Preston noted, is 72 percent behind last year in its holiday campaign.
In a national disaster, Red Cross volunteers come from all over the country to set up emergency shelters, provide food and clothing, counseling -- all the things victims need to get back on their feet, he said.
There are more than 400 Red Cross volunteers in Mahoning County, eight of whom just recently completed training for local disaster work.
Radio operators: The Red Cross is not the only organization poised to provide volunteers in an emergency. More than 40 amateur radio enthusiasts are set to assist Mahoning County Disaster Services with communications should the need arise, said Clark A. Jones, planning coordinator.
These communications operators, members of 20/9 Amateur Radio Club, are registered with the county, have their own radios including mobile equipment in some of their cars, and repeater systems that can be linked together to cover a three- to-four-county area, said Richard Hammer, club president.
"It's a hobby with a purpose -- not just because of Sept. 11 but because there is a need to help out," Hamaker said. "The idea behind the club is public service."
In an emergency, wire and wireless systems would be overloaded. The radio systems would still be operational, he noted, and are 95 percent reliable.
Ten or 12 new amateur radio club members have registered since the attacks, with Mahoning County to provide emergency communications services, Jones said.
A second club has also expressed interest in helping in an emergency, but its members have yet to meet the county's criteria, which includes obtaining photo ID badges for each volunteer.
In Trumbull County, many area construction workers and firefighters called immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks and volunteered to go to New York and Washington to help clear debris, said Linda Beil, director of Trumbull County Emergency Management; few callers inquired about volunteer opportunities in their own communities.
No matter, Beil said, "we have a whole list of volunteers -- amateur radio operators, safety forces and concerned citizens trained for specific tasks."
Columbiana County: The same is true in Columbiana County.
"We've had some increase in calls since 9-11, but we maintain a pretty consistent staff," said Jay Carter, director of Columbiana County Emergency Management.
Forty-six volunteers are trained to run the emergency operations center, which is activated at least once a year for practice or training. The last time, and it was only a partial activation, was during the meningitis outbreak in May.
More available: Nationwide, there's been a 20 percent increase in the number of individuals volunteering to help their communities, both in a crisis and in building better communities, said Paul Schrader, director of the Corporation for National Service in Ohio. The Corporation for National Service oversees AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteer programs.
There are several bills in Congress aiming to build the nation's civil defense force by increasing the number of volunteers who would be called on in an emergency, including one that would expand AmeriCorps from 50,000 to 250,000 by 2010.
Half of the new volunteers would be dedicated to public safety and homeland security rather than the tutoring, school, environmental and economic development projects most volunteers currently participate in.
"We're poised to implement whatever Congress gives us," Schrader said.
All AmeriCorps volunteers receive formal orientation, job descriptions and on-the-job training.
Years ago, the bulk of volunteers were housewives, Schrader notes. As more and more women entered the work force, finding volunteers became increasingly difficult. Now, with seniors staying healthier longer and baby boomers retiring younger, they could fill the volunteer void.
AmeriCorps is open to U.S. citizens at least 17 years old; SeniorCorps is open to those 55 years old and older.
kubik@ vindy.com