Members volunteer at disaster recovery centers


By DEBORAH A. MILES The rising rivers and creeks from


Tropical Storms Irene and Lee may have receded, but the flood damage is still traumatizing hundreds of people affected by the storms. Gov. Andrew Cuomo instructed state


employees to set up Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) to help residents address their problems and concerns. The first one opened September 2, and a month later 27 DRCs were operating throughout the state in areas that were flooded. “This is the biggest


mobilization effort we’ve done since 9/11, not only in span but in length,” said Eileen Franko, a research scientist 5 at the state Department of Health (DOH) and a DRC coordinator. “More than 125


Mental Health and the federal Office of Small Business. At the fixed sites, as many as 15 state agencies are involved. The volunteers work with the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Franko said it is a method to provide flood victims with access to all the different agencies without having to go from one office to another. “People are willing to give up their


nights and weekends, and travel away from their own homes to be there for other people. Our PEF members are coming back and the majority of them said this is a core public health issue, and an opportunity to do grass-roots efforts in the community,” Franko said. Ed Carloni, a principal


professional people have staffed the sites, and I would say 98 percent of them are PEF members. They are professionals with knowledge of water, septic and mold issues, as well as indoor-air quality, flooding, spills, mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus. They are all volunteers and are working 12-hour days, seven days a week,” Franko said. Some DRCs are mobile and others are


FRANKO


fixed. At the mobile sites, most of the volunteers work at DOH, the state Office of


sanitarian at DOH, is one of the volunteers. His job with the state has prepared him to deal with a myriad of environmental health issues. “Some of the people who


come to a DRC look as if they were shell-shocked by what has happened. The big issues are contaminated oil tanks, no heat or electricity and problems with wells,” Carloni said. “There is a lot going on at one time. It’s


especially a lot of homes in Middleburgh, Battle for survival doesn’t end with military discharge


By SHERRY HALBROOK Approximately 1 million New Yorkers


and 10 percent of PEF members are military veterans. So, it was no surprise the PEF Veterans


Committee luncheon in Niagara Falls drew a crowd of convention delegates in September to hear guest speaker Christopher Kreiger Sr. PEF Vets Chair Richard Fletcher


commended Kreiger for his decade of military service in Bosnia and Iraq, and also for co-founding WNYHeroes Inc, a not- for-profit organization that offers financial and other support to veterans and their survivors in western New York. A Bronze Star recipient, Kreiger told


how he and his family lost their home and struggled to survive after he was severely injured in 2003 by a roadside bomb in Iraq. In addition to injuries that required


several surgeries on his right leg and lower back, Kreiger suffered from a dislocated


Page 6—The Communicator November 2011


hip, hearing loss and was experiencing up to 17 seizures per day from traumatic brain injury. “When I applied for benefits, I was told


my injuries were not combat-related,” Kreiger told the delegates. “The banks took my house and cars. They basically kicked me in the teeth.” It took two years to obtain 100 percent


disability pay, and Kreiger’s wife and sons suffered with him. “Our families serve with us, but


everybody forgets about the families. Kids are heroes too. “I understand why many vets get so


angry at the government,” Kreiger said. “I started Western New York Heroes solely out of anger and determination to help combat vets and their families. We help


them pay their rent, their mortgage and pay for things like school supplies and fees for their kids’ extra-curricular activities. We are solely funded by donations. “You can’t go to war and come back


normal, but if you seek help for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) your military career is done. So, we try to hook up vets and their family members with discreet psychological services.” WNYHeroes operates two programs for


veterans in need: Bridging Hearts, and Grant A Wish. Kreiger said veterans don’t want pity.


They just want what they have earned. “We did what our country asked. All we


ask is what it promised us.” For more information, go online to


www.wnyheroes.org or call 888-400-3892. PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445 CARLONI


was just one place that received the brunt of the storms. Even houses that were flooded once before that were moved and raised to a higher site, couldn’t escape the surging Schoharie Creek. Things people take for granted, such as


clean water, change when a flood destroys a home. Carloni said some of the people who live


in cabins in the woods are taking buckets to streams for their water. They boil it, but many still do things such as brush their teeth with contaminated water, not realizing they could become ill. “Most people are getting apartments or


are being placed in other homes,” Carloni said. “One particular family, a mother and daughter, have six dogs. The apartments don’t accept dogs, and they are not willing to give them up. They have nowhere to go. It’s situations like this that can be very challenging. “On the up side, there are people being


placed and getting assistance. Other people will never have enough to rebuild without full flood insurance. The most FEMA allows is $30,000. That’s not enough to rebuild a $150,000 home,” Carloni said. There is a disaster recovery information


frustrating for people. Everything is layered and they ask, ‘What do I do first?’” Carloni said Schoharie County,


line 877-365-7776 for flood-related questions. For answers to technical questions, PEF members staff secondary phone lines every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.


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