In July of this year, destructive and deadly flooding occurred in the Hill Country region of Texas. The Williamson County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers were activated immediately after the flooding, and their response efforts will continue through at least December of this year.
Following the flooding, local emergency management reached out to request MRC volunteer support for damage assessments. Volunteers completed Just-In-Time Training (JITT), including how to use the necessary app on their phone to complete assessments. Volunteers worked in the areas of Williamson County and Sandy Creek, where a majority of the damage took place. Volunteers met with families and visited empty fields where mobile homes once stood before being washed away.
When the county opened a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Georgetown, the Williamson County MRC was asked to oversee the operation.
“This was big for us. This was the first time we had done this,” said Unit Leader Tim St. Peter, who served as section chief for the MARC.
MRC volunteers helped with MARC operations and served as ambassadors for the several hundred people who came through the MARC. Participating organizations included FEMA, the Red Cross, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, the local food bank, and other groups distributing items such as free cleaning supplies. Each morning, volunteers received an overview from the participating organizations to prepare for serving the community.
“This gave the volunteers a big picture of what is going on,” said St. Peter.
Volunteers then helped to ensure residents visited each station to take full advantage of support and services available to them.
Immediately following the flooding, MRC volunteers also provided support through a Mobile First Aid Team and a Child Emotional Support Team. Volunteers on the Mobile First Aid Team walked through the Sandy Creek area, providing hydration, checking on people’s well-being, and setting up first aid stations to treat injuries sustained by members of the Chainsaw Crews.
In the city of Leander, which is located in both Williamson and Travis counties, MRC volunteers provided first aid and emotional support to children. As families arrived at a resource center, volunteers supported children through active listening, interactive play, and by providing emotional support materials.
“It was a challenging environment with a lot of people, activity, and hot weather,” said St. Peter. “I’m really proud that the volunteers; they didn’t hesitate to sign up.”
As the community works to recover from the flooding, Williamson County MRC volunteers are now assisting with case management for long-term recovery, with a team of five English-speaking and two Spanish-speaking volunteers. This is the unit’s first time providing this type of support. Volunteers are learning about the process families will go through to seek aid, including gathering the detailed information needed to complete applications. Volunteers completed several hours of virtual training to learn about the program they will use and how to enter documents into the system. They also completed JITT for the whole case management process.
Volunteers will work through applications from 42 families. St. Peter is coordinating the volunteer and family schedules. Volunteers have a script of questions they will go through with families, will assist them in uploading documents, and work with the family to build their case profile. Each volunteer will work with one-to-two families at a time. The mission is expected to run through December.
The unit’s experience responding to tornadoes in 2022 helped to prepare them for this flooding response. Through that response, Williamson County MRC developed a relationship with local emergency management. The unit also developed a rapid response mission set to establish how volunteers could respond in different areas of a disaster.
While this myriad of activities is taking place, the 30 active volunteers of the Williamson MRC are also out in the community each weekend, taking part in multiple outreach events simultaneously. This includes manning a first aid table, passing out MRC and preparedness information, and doing CPR demonstrations.
The unit’s goal is to have at least one person in every household trained in CPR. This activity came about because two volunteers expressed interest and created a plan for how activities would work. St. Peter secured the supplies the volunteers requested which included six mannequins representing infants, adolescents, and adults.
“The community response was overwhelming,” said St. Peter. “On the first day we offered training we gave out 300 certificates. We had a line of people waiting to try it. I was shocked at how many people did not know CPR. This activity came about because of a volunteer telling me it was important.”
While the unit’s volunteers stay active in their community, St. Peter works to ensure their efforts are recognized. He takes pictures at every event and makes a collage of photos that are then shared with all staff in the health department along with a brief recap of the unit’s activity. Volunteers are also visible in the community and have been seen by members board and council members helping their neighbors.
“This is a small group and we’re lucky that they are really serious about being involved in the community,” said St. Peter. “I want everyone to see how volunteers are helping.”
