Shanna Manning and Becky White

I recently had the privilege of shadowing Becky White, Disaster Specialist for the St. Louis Area Chapter, and the Disaster Action Team (DAT) Tuesday day crew. For those not familiar with DAT, it's a team of Red Cross-trained volunteers who respond to local disasters (primarily residential fires) and provide immediate assistance in the form of food, clothing and shelter to the disaster victims. They also provide snacks and beverages to the emergency first responders on the scene.

Within the first two hours of my time with the DAT crew, I had learned what to listen for on the scanner, and even more importantly, what it all meant; the difference between a pumper truck and hook and ladder (these are different types of fire trucks); the average response time for the first fire truck to arrive at the scene (3-4 minutes for the City of St. Louis!); the difference between a black, red and white fire helmet; among many other interesting things about what the DAT crews do day in and day out.

Before I knew it, it was 11:30 and time for lunch. The toughest question of the day - where to go for lunch? Every DAT crew struggles with this one. We landed on Kolache Factory in Brentwood. It was delicious and I highly recommend this one to other DAT teams. The morning flew by and while we didn't respond to any incidences or solve the world's problems (as Dan Stokes would say), I learned a lot during my short time with the crew. Thank you to Dan Stokes, Ron Horstmann and Ken Durbin for showing me the ropes. I hope I have the privilege again.

After lunch, it was back to chapter headquarters where I spent the afternoon with Becky White and emergency services volunteer Dena Stokes. I had the opportunity to listen in on a conference call with the folks from Operation Weather Survival (OWS), a network of government and human services agencies, including the Red Cross, that collaborate to provide critical services in times of extreme heat or cold. For example, the Red Cross is responsible for delivering cold water to the cooling sites located throughout the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County when the area is under a heat advisory warning. It's amazing the amount of leg work and behind-the-scene coordination that is involved to ensure the St. Louis area is prepared for the next emergency.

At the end of the day, I was proud to be part of the Red Cross team. The first 24 hours following a disaster are the hardest for those affected, but I know the Red Cross is there to meet their immediate needs. Sometimes it's in the form of food or clothing; sometimes it's a hug and a blanket. But in all cases, the Red Cross provides hope.

Shanna

Shanna Manning is the Marketing Coordinator for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter.