by Kristin Kruse
The American Legion has partnered with the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office in creating the American Legion Emergency Response Team or ALERT program. Members include individuals from the Corvallis, Hamilton, Stevensville and Florence Posts.
The concept has been in the works for about a year, and on Friday, July 26, members met with Ravalli County’s Director of Emergency Management Erik Hoover along with Deputy Emergency Manager Jeff Rodrick. Hoover, who has been with the Sheriff’s office for 22 years and the Director since 2014, explained the role that ALERT will play in the community.
“The focus right now is on coordination and communication for the community,” said Hoover. “Getting information out to the public, making and taking calls and shuttling equipment if necessary in the event of an emergency.”
A prime example of how this team will be utilized in the future was evident during last week’s storm. Dispatch was flooded with over 800 calls, which clogs up the phone lines for life threatening emergencies, according to Hoover. Once in place, ALERT will be set up in an emergency operations center at the Sheriff’s Office, offering support to dispatch and providing the community with current and critical information.
“We are still exploring the possibilities with this group,” stated Rodrick. “This is phase one of the program, communications training. We are very happy to have community involvement and additional resources for the Sheriff’s Office. All volunteers are vetted, and bring specialized skills to the table.”
The team will be utilized not only for assisting with wildfire emergency management but any other type of large scale emergency or disaster, such as flooding or a mass shooting.
Garrick Doll, who is the Commander of Stevensville Post 94, attended the training and spoke of his hopes for the program.
“I think it is a great opportunity for veterans who are used to being of service to be able to continue to do so,” said Doll. “These veterans are used to working in a team environment, they are adaptable and have a variety of skills. This is a good way for them to continue to serve their community. I am hopeful that the program will become a useful product.”
With phase one complete, there is hope for a second phase, which would involve the training and certification necessary to assemble a medical unit that could be called in by the Sheriff’s Office when needed. Until then, ALERT is ready to provide communication needs as they arise.
“We can’t operate without volunteers, they are a huge benefit to our organization,” said Hoover.
Doris says
These volunteers come to the aid of our citizens after they have served, we need to take better care of their needs. Instead of immigrants and homeless.