Susquehanna Conference Disaster Response

Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator      A few weeks ago, I was struggling. Facing health-related issues and problems at work, I was looking forward to a weekend camping trip. It was going to be a great opportunity to put those troubles and concerns behind me, if only for a few days. I packed the camper Friday morning and started my weekend, intending to meet my wife when she finished working that evening. I was 30 minutes into my trip when I felt the camper bounce and sway. And, before I knew it, I was sitting along the side of the road.       The camper had sustained a flat tire. As I got out of my truck to inspect it, I saw rubber from the tire lying on the road, accompanied by torn air conditioning duct work and plywood. My heart sank. Approaching the back of the camper, I found the tire had shredded and had ripped away portions of the weather barrier and subflooring. The wire that reinforced the duct work was tightly wrapped arou...

Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator I am an avid bike rider and enjoy spending time on the roads and trails. I cycle for exercise and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Each year, during the month of July, you can find me glued to the television watching le Tour de France and le Tour de France femmes. Also referred to as “grand tours” in the cycling community, these men’s and women’s races involve up to 200 individual riders representing 24 teams from professional cycling world-wide. Over the course of a few weeks, these riders traverse the French countryside completing daily stages (21 for the men and eight for the women) and riding approximately 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and 1,033.6 km total (642 miles) respectively. For perspective, as a novice rider, the most I have ridden has been 74 miles in one day and 400 miles over the course of a month. The tour is both a team sport and an individual one that relies on strategies and tactics to be successful. Only one rider...

Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator At Annual Conference this year, I had the opportunity to speak with attendees about the Disaster Response Ministry. It was a joy to share all the opportunities the ministry has to offer. During one of those conversations, after explaining to connection to UMCOR and how we respond to “headline” disasters, I was asked whether there was more to the ministry. My reply was an emphatic “YES!” The mission of  UMCOR  and the Disaster Response Ministry is to provide assistance to alleviate human suffering as the result of disaster. And, most people associate that with helping people after they have been the victims of a natural disaster, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding. While this is true in the traditional sense, human suffering can occur on so many levels in so many places. All we need to do is watch the news every evening to know our neighbors are hurting as the economy continues to slow down and inflation continues t...

  Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator In emergency management circles, references are often made about an organization’s status in “blue skies” and “gray skies.” The term “blue skies” refers to how that organization conducts its normal, day-to-day operations without the direct threat of an emergency or disaster. Those operations involve building and maintaining capabilities for when disasters, or “gray skies,” strike. In carrying out their responsibilities, emergency managers utilize a four-phase model to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. The phases include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Mitigation  involves taking steps to avoid or minimize the cause and consequences of disasters.  Preparedness  involves planning and training for those things that are not able to be mitigated. The response phase takes place immediately after the disaster occurs and focuses on the personal safety and wellbeing of those in the comm...

  There are opportunities to financially support tornado recovery efforts as well as send volunteers to the Kentucky and Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conferences. Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference Long Term Recovery efforts are being planned through the Fall of 2022 and volunteer teams that are interested in helping should register their interest at  VOLUNTEER FORM .  If you want to send supplies, contact them at  SENDING SUPPLIES FORM .  Financial giving can be accomplished by clicking  Donate to Disaster Response Fund  or, mailing a check to Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, PO Box 440132, Nashville, TN 37244. (Please note Disaster Response in the memo line.) Kentucky Conference Currently, the Kentucky Annual Conference is only accepting teams that are ERT led, with a ratio of 1:1 (1 ERT trained* to 1 non-ERT).  When long term recovery efforts begin, more information will be shared.  Financial giving can be accomplished by mai...

  By Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator “If you walked by a house fully engulfed in flames and you could hear people screaming, would you keep walking? If a car crashed in front of you, would you drive by it? If a child was about to cross a busy street without looking, would you stay quiet? Well, it’s not a fire, or a crash, or a busy street, but people ARE dying and our health-care workers are drowning, and they are seeing things they will never forget….” These words were shared by a friend on social media a few months ago. Like many of us, she has been frustrated with the pandemic, a lack of concern for those who are suffering, and the declining support for the decision-makers attempting to guide us.  My friend went on to share that “we have the power to change the outcome, to lessen the burden. We can be part of the solution.”  As I read her post, my thoughts turned to a cold day in October when I met with some residents of Knoxville (Williamsport District). Th...

  Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator SUSUMC  Have you ever seen those advertisements offering an all-expense paid, week-long vacation to a tropical location? It’s an offer that seems almost too good to be true, right? Just spend a few hours touring a vacation resort and listening to a salesperson attempting to sell you a condo. No strings attached. Just give them a few hours of your precious time. How bad could it be? Fill out the registration form. Provide them with your mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Convinced it’s worth it because all expenses are paid? It’s a great opportunity because you were planning to take a vacation anyway. Then, you start receiving junk mail and spam e-mails. Your phone rings constantly. The texts never stop. You discover the airfare is free—well, except for the taxes and fees. Suddenly, what seemed like a great opportunity with no “catches” has turned into an expensive, time-consuming nuisance. Recently, I felt like o...