Specialized Emergency Response Trainers deploy in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene

TMC SERTs in USW District 9 deployed to affected areas in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to assist local union members and their communities.

Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern United States in September, serving as the deadliest Atlantic hurricane this year, claiming the lives of over 200 people (Cervantes Jr. & Voyles Pulver). The hurricane and subsequent flooding also caused damage and destruction that could take years to recuperate from in some regions, like in western North Carolina.

In the aftermath of the disastrous events, Specialized Emergency Response Trainers (SERTs) from the United Steelworkers Tony Mazzocchi Center (TMC) deployed to affected areas in order to help USW local union members in District 9 in any way they could with their experience and knowledge.

In early October, Calvin Bozeman, a SERT out of USW Local Union 9-675, traveled to North Carolina to work directly with Sub-District Director Alan Jones. He began in Ashville, and Canton, N.C., with the goal to reach out to several surrounding locals, other unions and organizations to offer initial assistance. This assistance may include:

  • FEMA, insurance and other paperwork assistance
  • Basic information on how to protect oneself while assessing their home/workplace
  • Mold awareness, muck and gut information, hazard assessments, etc.
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) awareness and need
  • Community and other local assistance efforts
  • Other disaster relief assistance such as mental health and resiliency

Bozeman and Jones then traveled to Erwin, Tenn., to assess some needs there. Typical roads were not only closed but completely gone, making travel difficult and more time consuming than normal.

Several contacts were made and the SERTs team is in the process of following up with each local/organization in order to determine next steps, such as training.

Immediately following Bozeman’s deployment, two other SERTs set out for Augusta, Ga., to work with Staff Representative Michael Healan and USW Local 9-983. Larry Hodge, who is a representative of one of the TMC’s partner organizations called Jobs to Move America (JMA), and Eddie Sharpe of USW Local Union 9-1441, started their deployment setting up at the union hall of Local 983, working with Marcus Smith, who serves as the local union president.

After providing initial assistance, Hodge and Sharpe were invited back to the local union meeting that evening to facilitate a brief training session regarding disaster response topics.

The next day they met with other community groups and those who work closely with the local to create connections. The SERTs team is currently in the process of scheduling a union/community training session before the end of the calendar year.

Closely monitoring the effects of the disaster is another SERT based in North Carolina, Ronald Sessoms of USW Local 9-959. Sessoms is ready to deploy at any moment depending on the need within the District.

More information about the SERTs deployment will be updated here, and this space will be utilized as the ongoing blog for this deployment.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding disaster preparedness and response, please reach out to us at [email protected].

More pictures from the deployment may be found in this album, all courtesy of the SERTs who deployed.

References

Jr, F. C., & Pulver, D. V. (2024, October 15). Beyond Helene: Hurricane death toll tops 300 lives, with month left in season. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2024/10/15/hurricane-deaths-...