BOISE, Idaho — From tornadoes impacting lives in the South and the Midwest to wildfires in the West, the devastation has struck thousands of lives around the country within the last month. However, when disaster strikes, communities and people come together and it's happening here in Idaho.
"We used to respond periodically to disasters but now it's become more acute to chronic so we're seeing multiple disasters within a month," said Bryce Sitter, the chief development officer for the Red Cross Supporting Idaho, Montana and Eastern Oregon.
Sitter said volunteers are ready for deployment at a moment's notice. As soon as he sent out a call for help with the Marshall Fire burning in Colorado this week, a Mountain Home man was quick to volunteer.
"Don Nesbitt's probably had 20 plus deployments since 2008, but this one is unique to him as he's from Longmont, Colorado," Sitter told KTVB. "He has family in the impacted zone. This deployment is going to mean more to him than past deployments."
Sitter explained Nesbitt was deployed to Colorado on Saturday morning, where he is helping set up shelters. The shelters will provide a place for those impacted to sleep and eat. It also is a facility for people to reunite family members and pets and tend to physical and mental health.
"These are horrific disasters that they were a quick onset," Sitter said. "They came on quick and gave people little warning. Many people left their homes without wallets or phones. Even getting a hold of family members and letting people know that they're safe has been a challenge."
In a message to KTVB, Nesbitt said he is "shoulder to shoulder with many wonderful supporters on this recognition and relief effort."
Other states are getting help from Idaho Red Cross volunteers too. Six people from the gem state are in Kentucky and Tennessee assisting with relief efforts caused by the tornadoes that killed dozens and destroyed numerous towns. Sitter said they're working shelters, feeding people and offering mental support.
Many Idahoans have been deployed to Montana to aid in relief with wildfires, both on the ground and virtually.
"Some of these volunteers are packed up with a quick run bag," Sitter said. "They have it set aside and know, 'If I need to grab that and go this is what I'll need on deployment."
All of the volunteers have gone through "robust training" according to Sitter. These are not quick trips either, Sitter said volunteers are deployed for 14 days and many are asked to extend longer sometimes.
"It's quite a lot to undergo a major recovery, a lot of components to it and a lot of partners to work with, so our volunteers are really special people," Sitter said.
The Idaho Red Cross is always looking for volunteers and donors, especially with blood donations at this time. For information click HERE.
Sitter pointed out those who sign up to volunteer at disaster sites are not immediately sent out, they must go through training for their specific area of interest.
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