First responders in the wake of Hurricane Helene are working long hours and seeing hard sights – people who have lost their homes or even their lives. Helping these firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers stay on an even keel is the work of the 2nd Alarm Project.
The teams that are deployed to communities where first responders are working include trained first responders who know the job and serve as peer supporters, along with trained chaplains, clinicians and comfort dogs.
Kellie O’Dare is the founder and leader of the project.
“On this deployment in particular, we have some peers who went through Hurricane Michael," she said. "So, not only did they have the lived experience of being a first responder, but they also have the lived experience of a major hurricane coming through their community.”
Those responding to Helene also are dealing with exhaustion and separation from their loved ones.
“We generally see levels of fatigue, levels of really just missing being home, being with their families and loved ones," O'Dare said. "Concern about their families and loved ones who might be going it alone while mom or dad is away responding to this emergency…”
The 2nd Alarm team also responded to the Surfside disaster in 2021, where first responders dug through the rubble of the Champlain Tower South for the bodies of those trapped inside when the tower fell.
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