Early Friday morning the renovated ambulance used by the Clarksville-Montgomery County American Red Cross to provide essential emergency services was destroyed by fire. And volunteers for the ARC believe it was not a freak occurrence.
Clarksville Police confirmed Friday morning that a man has been charged in connection to the arson, in addition to burglary of another nearby store.
Sgt. Cheryl Anderson said Eric John Waye, 38, has been charged with two counts of burglary and one count of arson. Anderson said Waye allegedly burglarized Southern Secrets on Crossland Avenue in addition to the ARC vehicle, to which he also allegedly set fire.
The incident comes at a particularly bad time for the chapter, said Director Cecil Stout, as they were planning on using the vehicle during the Rivers & Spires Festival this weekend, at an Earth Day celebration Friday at Fort Campbell and most certainly in the wake of a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled Clarksville overnight Thursday.
The response your Clarksville-Montgomery County Chapter of the Red Cross was able to provided was a reflection of our volunteers and donors. There was a community out pouring of aid for the victims of the tornados. We take pride that we were able to assist our communities.
20:45 hrs on 5 Feb, 2008 when requested by EMA to staff the EOC and prepared for Mass Care/Sheltering operation in the Indian Mounds area of Montgomery County. (Woodland Fire Station as temp shelter). We activated Gov Liaison Glenda Brown and activated DAT #1 Mike Vogt w/3 members, deploying with DRV with tarps and food. Staffing of essential personnel was started.
21:00 Houston County EMA requested Mass Care/Sheltering operations for the Dansville area of Houston County. ( Southernair motel as temp shelter). We deployed Houston County DAT Stephainnie White w/2 members and county DRV with food and tarps.
This was the commencement of our activities for the next few days. We would continue operations for the next 18 days in one form or another. I am providing the following fact and figures of our accomplishments:
· Preformed Disaster Assessments for 154 effected residents in a three county area.
· Opened 13 cases providing financial assistance to 31 individuals.
· Provided basic first aid for 11 individuals.
· Visited three individuals at hospital.
· Provided mental health assistance for 4 individuals.
· Preformed Welfare Inquiries for three special needs persons.
· Registered 27 individuals on Safe and Well, Web based locater service.
· Referred 53 families to other agencies for assistance (to include local and FEMA).
· Provided 2 sessions where 34 individual volunteers were trained for this response.
· Recruited 59 volunteers who served locally.
· Deployed one DSHR volunteer to serve at the national level.
· Accounted for 4248 volunteer hours in 18 days of operations.
· Operated four mobile feeding units.
· Traveled 13600 miles of authorized travel.
· Served 4250 meals or snacks, 5230 bottles of water and 720 cups of coffee.
· Distributed 70 tarps, 37 comfort and 4 clean-up kits to those in need.
· Opened two temporary (trailers) service centers.
· Committed $10,418.00 in relief funds.
We the staff wish to thank you all for upholding the mission of the American Red Cross. You volunteers are incredible.
Article by
Matt Rennels
The Leaf Chronicle
Thanks to a grant, the local American Red Cross chapter is preparing to give schools and parents the resources they need to teach children about disaster safety.
"The chapter was provided a $5,000 grant by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, distributors of millions of dollars in grants to community programs and institutions, to fund the Masters of Disaster program, which teaches elementary, middle and junior high school students "the skills and knowledge they need to prepare for, recognize and recover from hazards and disasters," according to a news release. The Red Cross is now in the process of spreading the word to local schools so they can train instructors how to teach the material so that school system can reap the benefits internally.
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"We're just trying to get the word out to the community," said Cecil Stout, the chapter's director of emergency services. "If you are going to live in society today, you are going to have to learn how to react to the dangers."
The Masters of Disasters Program was created to help make children safer. The program was split into three grade-specific groups — K-2, 3-5 and 6-8, and each module includes age-appropriate lesson plans and an activity book with reproducible lessons that teachers can assign to students.
The curriculum covers how to prevent injuries at home and how to stay safe in the event of a hurricane, flood, tornado, lightning and home or wildfires.
"We have had a couple of teachers look at this, and they loved it," Stout said.
The program lesson kit can be purchased by anyone, as there are classroom and family editions. Stout said it could be great for families, including parents of home-schooled children.
Stout said the local Red Cross is soon going to begin training teachers in school system, but they need to get the word out first.
"This will help reduce fatalities overall, and help protect the community," he said.
For more coverage on this story visit www.theleafchronicle.com.
Article by
Jamie Dexter
The Leaf Chronicle
It's rare for the American red Cross to call for volunteers from the other side of the country, outside of their service area, but the
wildfires in California causing at least a half-million people to evacuate is an exception.
"They are asking for numbers we've never seen...they've got over 3,000 volunteers there now," said Cecil L. Stout III,
emergancy service director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County chapter of the Red Cross. "FOr us to deploy to the West Coast-
it doesn't happen very often."
But as the damages reach $1 billion, with firefighters working arounf the clock in Southern California, three local Red Cross
volunteers are deploying-and they could be away anywhere between 10 and 21 days.
Disaster Action Team Captain Mike Vogt from Montgomery County and Captain Stephanie White and Billy Don Ledbetter from Stewart
County all flew flew to California Wednesday to volunteer. For more coverage on this story visit www.theleafchronicle.com.
The Red Cross gave assistance in a home fire on Iris Lane Friday Night. Red Cross volunteers
Donnie and Teresa Wilkes's home was destroyed in the blaze. Clarksville Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Ray Williams
and crew responded to the fire at 11:15 pm Friday. It was reported that the flames and smoke
was visable from a distance.
It wasn't until after 45 minutes of battleing the blaze before the fire was distinguished.
Fortunately no other neighboring houses were damaged in the fire. "They did a good job at that,
their vinyl siding was at risk of melting from heat," said Williams . Mr. and Mrs Wilkes made an
attemt to distinguish the fire but were unsuccesful.
The house suffered extream water, smoke and heat damage and was a total loss. The Wilkes family
will be displaced for a while after their loss. The Clarksvville Red Cross was there to provide
assistance. Disaster Action Team Capt. Mike Vogt said it was a hard call to respond to.
"It was horrible. It was like family," said Vogt. Vogt said "We are now handling the process with the
Wilkes the same as they would anyone else, but there is "just more of an emotional connection."
The family is doing well, considering the loss thanks to the Red Cross.
