Town destroyed by fire, another town steps up by love

California wildfires: Town hosting displaced victims for Thanksgiving feast

NBC News

By Dareh Gregorian and Rima Abdelkader
November 19, 2018

The town of Lincoln, California, is banding together to help the wildfire victims try to have a happy Thanksgiving.

Krystin Harvey, left, comforts her daughter Araya Cipollini at the remains of their home burned in the Camp Fire, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Paradise, Calif.John Locher / AP

Residents of the Sacramento suburb — population 47,000 — are putting aside their own Thanksgiving Day plans to serve meals to those who’ve been displaced by the widespread destruction.

"It’s going to be a good night out to get their minds off what's happened," one of the organizers, Jeannette Bermudez, told NBC News on Monday.

The event was "thrown together pretty fast because all of this happened so fast," said another organizer, Jack Montgomery, 38.

The local fire department held a turkey drive that resulted in over 100 turkeys being donated. The city of Lincoln offered up its event space, McBean Pavilion, for free. A local casino offered up buses for transportation to and from hotels. 

Companies were donating games and arts and crafts to keep kids busy. Townspeople and local restaurants and stores were cooking up food for the event.

My Dog's Spot, a local dog grooming shop, offered to house victims' pets during the dinner — and to give them a bath and some grooming if needed, Bermudez said.

"They'll be loved on and spoiled while their owners enjoy dinner," she said.
read more here

Marine Veteran-Firefighter Lost Home While Fighting Fire at Camp Pendleton

FIREFIGHTER LOSES HOME IN SAND FIRE WHILE BATTLING CAMP PENDLETON FIRE
ABC 7 News
By ABC7.com staff
Sunday, July 24, 2016

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) -- A firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service learned his home was burned to the ground by the Sand Fire while he was battling a blaze at Camp Pendleton.

Sergio Toscano was sent to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County to battle the Roblar Fire, which broke out Thursday evening.

While Toscano was battling the Roblar Fire, he received word that the Sand Fire was nearing his home on Little Tujunga Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.

"We were assigned to a fire at Camp Pendleton, the Roblar Fire, I was getting text and phone calls from back home updating me on the fire that was going on back home," Toscano told ABC7.

After learning his home had been destroyed, Toscano was pulled from the Roblar Fire and assigned the Sand Fire.
read more here

California:Mourning the loss of two Firefighters

In the Line of Duty.... Mourning the loss of two Firefighters

Chaplains visit Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda after Freeway Complex fire

Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
Chaplain Keith Stiles, right, of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, consoles Vivian Vargas, left, after she lost her home on Aviemore Drive in Yorba Linda in the Freeway Complex fire. Stiles gave them a Bible and prayed with them.

Chaplains visit Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda after Freeway Complex fire
By Duke Helfand
Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:33:32 PM

When they respond to disasters, chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team usually encounter throngs of desperate victims.

So the evangelical Christians were surprised Monday as they searched deserted, mountainous neighborhoods of Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda that had been charred by the Freeway Complex fire.


The chaplains were awed by the panoramic views from Orange County's sloping suburbs, but struck by the absence of victims and eager to apply their ministerial hands.

The seven men, led by a retired police chief from North Carolina, had received just 15 requests for help since their arrival last week, their third deployment to Southern California since 2003 in response to wildfires.

A much larger contingent of chaplains received several hundred requests for help during last year's Witch fire in northern San Diego County.
click above link for more

California fires:Coming to grips with devastation

Coming to grips with devastation
Firefighters making progress on wildfires as residents return to homes -- or rubble
By Alexandra Zavis and Christopher Goffard
11:17 AM PST, November 18, 2008
Winds remained calm today and the air started to clear, allowing firefighters to make more headway against wildfires that have burned through Southern California.

Residents who fled the flames steeled themselves for the worst as authorities prepared to escort more people back into the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar -- the "Beverly Hills of mobile home parks" -- now a devastated neighborhood that looks more like a war zone than a country club.
click link for more

L.A. County offers crisis counseling to fire victims

Most of you know I do videos on PTSD. There are several that should go here. More later.

L.A. County offers crisis counseling to fire victims
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
By Kate Linthicum
12:07 PM PST, November 17, 2008
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is offering free crisis counseling to victims of the Sayre and Freeway Complex fires.

"When you talk about traumatic events like these, they will be affecting people for days, weeks, months and even years after," said Ken Kondo, a spokesman for the department. "The recovery process has to start now."
click link for more

First one is that while we focus on the victims, we need to remember the firefighters trying to save lives and as much property as they can. PTSD I Grieve is about firefighters and police officers who also happen to be members of the National Guard. They train to serve here and their communities, then they get deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, then come home again. They need a lot of help.


Second one is PTSD Not God's Judgment. While it was intended for warriors, it has been used to help firefighters and police officers. We tend to come out of tragedies and wonder if God just judged us after it happened. PTSD is not a judgment against anyone.



PTSD After Trauma is for the victims.



IFOC Chaplain Army Of Love is about the Chaplains who go rushing in to help and they are never really reported on. These are quiet heroes, going where they are needed and when they are needed. It does not matter what the cause of the trauma was, usually, they are right there.



For more information about the IFOC, go here

International Fellowship of Chaplains Chaplaincy Training ...
Dave and Judy Vorce
The International Fellowship of Chaplains, Inc. (IFOC) is a non profit, providing training, recognition, certification and information

California firefighters make gains

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP

California firefighters make gains
Calm winds have allowed firefighters in Southern California to make gains on two raging wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee.
Read story

Wildfire claims 100 homes in Montecito, Santa Barbara

Wildfire claims 100 homes in Montecito, Santa Barbara
By Times staff writers2:02 p.m.
Firefighters battle flames that have charred 2,500 acres and driven thousands from luxury neighborhoods.
• L.A., Ventura counties get wildfire warnings
• Stepping up to help fire victims
• Wildfire fears of the rich and famous

Downed copter continues to burn; two firefighters' conditions upgraded

Downed copter continues to burn; two firefighters' conditions upgraded
John Koopman,Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, August 7, 2008
(08-07) 12:25 PDT REDDING - -- The wreckage of a helicopter continued to burn in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest last night, hampering efforts by authorities to recover and identify the remains of a team of firefighters who crashed on takeoff after helping to fight a wildland fire.

Joe Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said the National Transportation Safety Bureau was on the scene and attempting to start its investigation, but extreme heat from the burning aviation fuel and smoldering remains of the helicopter prevented access to the site.

The crash seriously injured three firefighters and the co-pilot of the helicopter. Three of the injured were transferred to UC Davis Medical Center, while the fourth remained at Mercy Hospital in Redding.

There were nine other people on board the aircraft. The Trinity County Sheriff's Department confirmed one death yesterday but the other eight are listed as missing. They are presumed to have died in the crash.

Ten of the 11 passengers worked for Grayback Forestry of Merlin, Ore., a private contracting firm. It was unclear who the 11th passenger on board the aircraft was, but some reports indicated that it was an official with the Forest Service.
go here for more
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/07/BA4N12709I.DTL&tsp=1

'I lost all my friends,' says helicopter crash survivor

'I lost all my friends,' says helicopter crash survivor
By Times staff writers 12:17 p.m.
Amid a somber mood, firefighters press on against Shasta-Trinity fire after 9 are believed to have been killed. Witnesses are debriefed and grief counseling is made available.

By Maria LaGanga, Joe Mozingo and Julie Cart, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
12:17 PM PDT, August 7, 2008
JUNCTION CITY, Calif. - Firefighters continued battling fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest today as federal officials began arriving to investigate the cause of a deadly helicopter crash and grief counselors descended on the base camp here to debrief witnesses and offer aid to crew members.

It was a somber day in the Trinity Alps. At an early morning briefing for firefighters, Jeff Currier, a member of the air support group, told the assembled crowd that when "it feels like you've been kicked in the head . . . you have to move on. We'll be 100% on the move."


Mike Donch, a human resources specialist with the firefighting effort, said that two "critical incident management teams" are arriving today to begin debriefing crew members who witnessed Tuesday's helicopter crash that was believed to have killed nine people and injured four. Grief counseling would also be available for any firefighters who need it, he said.
click above for more

9 believed dead, 4 injured in firefighter helicopter crash

9 believed dead, 4 injured in firefighter helicopter crash
Story Highlights
Helicopter carrying 11 firefighters, two crewmen crashes in California, officials say

Nine people missing and presumed dead

Firefighters had been assigned to battle wildfires

Forest Service spokeswoman: Injured four -- including pilot -- hospitalized
(CNN) -- Nine people were missing and presumed dead and four were hospitalized Wednesday after a helicopter carrying firefighters crashed the night before in northern California, aviation spokesmen said.


A Sikorsky S-61 similar to this crashed in California while carrying firefighters assigned to battle wildfires.

The Sikorsky S-61 helicopter had entered a remote area to pick up firefighters battling wildfires, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration. The crash happened about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 35 miles northwest of Redding in the Trinity-Alps Wilderness Area.

Two crew members and 11 firefighters were aboard, Gregor said. Three of the injured were contract firefighters, and the fourth was the pilot, said Sharon Heywood, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/06/helicopter.crash/index.html

California fires:International help arrives, more asked for

Butte County fire claims a life as Schwarzenegger musters more help
A body is found near a house in Concow, officials say. The governor calls up an additional 2,000 National Guard troops for duty. International firefighters arrive.
By Eric Bailey, Steve Chawkins and Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
2:13 PM PDT, July 11, 2008
Fire officials confirmed today that one person has died in a wildfire in Butte County as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called up an additional 2,000 National Guard troops for duty on the front lines of wildfires raging throughout Northern California.

In addition, firefighters from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Greece have begun arriving to bolster the exhausted personnel who have been waging battle against hundreds of blazes for nearly three weeks.
click post title for more

Oceanside CA military not interested in PTSD forum?

San Diego County has the second largest veteran population in the nation, with approximately 252,000 former service members as well as roughly 125,000 active-duty Marines, sailors and National Guard troops, according to Tom Splitberger, the county's veterans service officer.

Forum misses intended targets

By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer
County session on how to help military and their families doesn't include them

OCEANSIDE ---- There was a glaring element missing in action at a Tuesday forum on how to better serve the mental health needs of active and former members of the military and their families ---- the intended targets.

The forum sponsored by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency was one of a series agency officials are conducting to determine how best to spend the $16 million they expect to receive from the state next year for new mental health efforts.

County officials maintained that they had notified area military bases and groups about the forum. They couldn't explain why none of the people they are aiming to serve were present at the four-hour session at the Oceanside Civic Center.


"This is an opportunity to focus specific resources for this (military) population," Alfredo Aguirre, director of the county's adult and children's mental health department, said during opening remarks.

The more than three dozen people in attendance were primarily mental health counselors and specialists, as well as veteran's advocates and people who work for agencies dealing directly with current and former service members.

The absence of military families was discussed by one of three groups that ended the day by brainstorming ways to better serve that large component of the county population. When reporting its conclusions, the group said spending some of the money to reach out to service members and their families should be considered.
click post title for the rest

Speechless!

“Don't label yourself as crazy" after trauma

Emotional reactions normal, experts say
By R.J. Ignelzi
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

October 26, 2007

You can't sleep. You scream at your kids. Your heart is racing. And you have no idea what day it is.

You're not losing your mind. You're stressed. And mental health professionals say these reactions are typical.


“Don't label yourself as crazy. You're going through a normal reaction to an abnormal event,” said Arpi Minassian, a psychologist at the University of California San Diego Burn Center.

Even as things calm down, people are bound to experience an array of emotions after the firestorms. And don't be surprised if your reactions are different from your neighbor's or your best friend's.

“Some people will be emotionally numb. Others will be angry or sad or irritable. It's important to know that all of these emotions are OK. It's normal,” said Jerry Gold, a psychologist who is director of Scripps Behavioral Health Services.

Other stress symptoms include anxiety and fear that the disaster will happen again, difficulty focusing and making decisions, hopelessness, spontaneous crying, increased or decreased eating, sleeplessness and nightmares.


Mental health tips
Mental health care professionals offer some coping strategies for the stress we're all feeling.

Talk about the event and your feelings with friends, relatives and colleagues.

Exercise to help relieve stress. Although a strenuous workout isn't recommended while the air quality is poor, try a passive indoor exercise such as meditation, yoga or stretching.

Turn off the television and the radio for a while.

Try to return to a normal schedule. Have meals and sleep at regular times.

Write it down.

Serve others.

Reach out to community groups, religious organizations or neighborhood gatherings for moral support.

Avoid overuse of alcohol or drugs.
click post title for the rest

PTSD and California prove humans suffer from trauma

California Wildfires: Experts, Advice on PTSD, Grieving, and Families Experiencing Sudden Loss
Newswise — In the midst of news stories about the catastrophic wildfires that are destroying southern California homes and businesses, it is easy to downplay both the personal losses inherent to these natural disasters and the profound influence that media can play in the preparation and healing effort. Alliant International University, which has had three of its campuses closed due to fire, announced today that experts from its California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) are ready to assist journalists with pertinent information as to how natural disasters affect people and how they can help educate, inform and inspire those who have lost their homes, as well as potential victims of this wildfire phenomenon.

“Alliant International University has called together leading experts in the field of gentle, post-traumatic stress counseling to assist journalists as to how to reach survivors, witnesses and others in the San Diego area touched by these traumatic events,” said Associate Vice President of Communications Nicolette Toussaint. “The media is where people affected by this natural disaster will go when they need information that helps to make sense of what has happened and how they can move on.”
go here for the rest
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534618/

We saw it after Katrina. We saw it after 9-11. We saw it over and over again, yet when it comes to the men and women we send into combat, we failed to expect it. PTSD is a human wound, suffered from abnormal events. There is nothing normal about the fires in California, the aftermath of Katrina, the attacks of 9-11 or combat. None of this is part of normal daily life. We ignore this at our own peril. The wounds treated early are wounds healed sooner. Why would anyone have a problem with this?