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IAFF Continues Disaster Relief Efforts Following Ike
 Galveston
Island became overwhelmed by thousands of residents trying
to check properties after officials opened a visitation
window so people could check on their homes and businesses.
A resulting traffic jam backed up for miles, causing city
officials to shelve the "look and leave" policy.
In Houston, most residents in the nation's fourth-largest
city remain without power. For most, the electricity isn't
expected back on for at least another week.
11th District Vice President Sandy
McGhee continues to staff an IAFF operations/relief center in
La Marque, Texas, to provide temporary shelter for IAFF
members and their families. DVP McGhee remains in contact with IAFF
affiliates along the Gulf Coast, including Orange, TX Local
1432 where water caused the most damage. Houston Local 341
has also reached out to all of its members with information
on the criteria for relief funds.
Based on assessments conducted so
far, most members have experienced housing damage due to
flooding and are waiting for insurance representatives to
evaluate their homes. However, a number of members in
Orange, Galveston and Port Arthur have homes that are
completely destroyed and will need to be replaced or
rebuilt. The IAFF is contacting FEMA about obtaining aid
procedures and paperwork to provide to IAFF affiliates and
members.
FEMA has begun demobilizing urban
search and rescue teams since most of the searching has been
completed. DVP McGhee anticipates that the IAFF
operations/relief center will close in the next day or so.
The IAFF will continue to review disaster relief
applications and distribute relief funds.
The
IAFF Disaster Relief Fund provides assistance to IAFF members in the United
States and Canada who suffer financial hardship as the result of a federally
declared disaster area or in cases of natural or man-made disasters, such as
floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires or civil disturbances.
Click here to donate online.
After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005, the Fund disbursed more than
$1,750,000 to IAFF members in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Florida
who were displaced by the storms. Additionally, the IAFF assisted more than 45
local affiliates and their 5,000 members in the stricken area, and provided
incident command staff, communications, evacuation, food, medicine (including
vaccinations and baseline medical evaluations), behavioral health and
counseling, building materials, crews for house repairs, transportation and
housing support. The Fund provided more than $500,000 for these efforts. In this
fiscal year alone, the IAFF has provided more than $45,000 in member relief.
The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund is a 501 (c)(3) Trust Fund. Tax deductible
contributions can be sent to:
IAFF Disaster Relief Fund
1750 New York Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 824-1571
In its brief lifespan of only 13 days, Hurricane Ike wreaked great deal of
havoc. Affecting several countries, including Cuba, Haiti and the United States,
Ike is blamed for approximately 114 deaths (74 in Haiti alone), and damages that
are still being tallied, with estimates topping $10 billion. Many shoreline
communities of Galveston, Texas, were wiped from the map by the winds, storm
surge and the walls of debris pushed along by Ike.
Click here for more photos from Hurricane Ike.
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