Like they always do, volunteers step up during fl ood
BY CHARLES LEFEBVRE S
hantel Ottenbreit’s job with the city is normally a senior outreach worker.
However, when an emergency hits the city, such as the 2013 floods, her role changes to volunteer centre manager.
“If there is seen to be a need for emergency social services, then the Emergency Operation Centre asks us to mobilize,” she said.
“For us, it started on June 21. We were told we needed to set up our reception centre at Medicine Hat College.”
Out of the college is where the centre made sure people had a place to register, find information and connect with services.
The City had to start right away.
“Usually it’s usually a large number of people in a short time frame, so we can get them doing the evacuation notices” she said. “We needed to make sure we have people out there right away with information
The centre co-ordinated evacuation notices, had people on site at the reception centre, ran a grocery store out of the college, kept the information line updated and also helped set up inspections to get back into their homes.
“My role is when we get that call, I start making sure I have people on the phones, as well as making sure our media is connected with them,” she said.
“My role is when we get he phon
media is conne Shante hantel
Ottenbreit ran the volunteer's centre during the 2013
er's he 2013
flood, and says Hatters tu up in dro
tters turned
up in droves to help their nei
lp their neighbours. ed ys
Ottenbreit said the City also liaised with a number of volunteer groups who were assisting with the flood, such as Samaritan’s Purse, who helped clean up homes damaged by flood.
he C
volunt er groups who w such a
maged by
Ottttenbreit says as soon as the call came out, Medicine Hat was quick to respond.
enbreit says a s quick to re he re nfor on on
“The response was overwhelming,” she said. We had so many people come out and want to help that we didn’t even have roles for them at all.”
ver
ma y p ople come out a s for them
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to utilize everybody who wanted to help. That was something that was evident throughout the flood. Everybody just wanted to help their neighbours, help their community members. Even if it wasn’t through us and the roles that we had, we heard about neighbours helping neighbours, friends and family helping people clean up their yards and houses, move stuff upstairs, just pitching in.”
wante
to help. That wa he flo
heir neighb if it wa
s, help t gh
we heard abou nd fa n
heir ya jus
chin
“That speaks hugely to our community and the people that live here.”
hat sp
Throughout the days leading up to the flflood, Hatters of all ages could be seen in the affected areas, helping fill sandbags, moving items out of a home, and helping out in any way they could. Frank Meilleur and his family were just a few of those people.
he peop gh
d,
een i and nd ra
just e
Meilleur, a master corporal with the Canadian Armed Forces stationed at CFB Suffield from July 2010 to July 2013, was preparing to move to his next area of service when the flflood hit.
at to
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Cason Walburger, 3, helps his dad Scott fill up sandbags at the Cypress County municipal yard in preparation for the flood that hit Medicine Hat in June 2013.
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