Alabama Baptists’ new Rapid Response Assessment Team (RRAT) proved its worth and ability Sept. 24, just two weeks after completing training.
When floodwaters devastated parts of north Georgia Sept. 21–23, two members of RRAT were on the ground doing assessment in Douglas County, Georgia, by noon Sept. 24. Up to five more members were set to arrive Sept. 26.
“[RRAT] is something we’ve never done before,” said Mel Johnson, disaster relief strategist for Alabama Baptists. “Team members are literally self-supporting and can deploy within hours of a disaster.”
The group is working with a Georgia Baptist Convention assessment team and communicating with Alabama’s disaster relief coordinator Ronnie Warren and the North American Mission Board (NAMB).
Larry Teel, a member of First Baptist Church, Wetumpka, is coordinating Alabama’s RRAT team in Georgia. “It’s been mass confusion, but disaster relief always is,” he said while driving to his next neighborhood to assess damage Sept. 25. “Our intent is to do ‘windshield drive-through’ assessment of the areas,” he said, noting they were moving slower than they had planned because of the devastation and stopping to do some door-to-door assessments.
“We are going to areas the Emergency Operation Center indicated were extremely hit hard,” Teel explained, adding that along with assessing Douglas County, he was called into a low-income and severely devastated area of Fulton County.
“We’ve seen total devastation (in some areas),” he said. “Most of the damage seems to be along the water or homes that are creekside.”
RRAT members are experts in the area of assessment and preparation for disaster relief teams coming to help, Johnson said. “These guys are all committed to cleanup and recovery. They have all been in positions of leadership of cleanup and recovery.”
“They will be (in the Douglas County) for an extended period of time, assisting our convention and NAMB,” he said.
In fact, all Alabama disaster relief efforts will be focused on Douglas County, Johnson noted. Seven mudout teams are working in the area — Cleburne Baptist Association, Calhoun Baptist Association, Colbert-Lauderdale Baptist Association, Columbia Baptist Association, Bessemer Baptist Association, Mud Creek Baptist Association and Sand Mountain Baptist Association.
Three teams started Sept. 26, the next Sept. 27 and so on, Johnson said, noting the teams would cycle in and out as long as there is work to be done.
“Mudout is one of the most difficult jobs in disaster relief,” he said. “We cycle them in and out about every four to five days because they are exhausted. It is very hard work.
“We go into homes and help with debris removal, carpet removal, cutting out of drywall, etc., so that the rebuilding process can begin.”
A chaplain will also accompany each mudout team, Johnson added.
“This is frontline missions. This is one of the greatest opporturnities to communicate Christ with homeowners who would probably never listen to a faith team from a church,” he said. “When our teams show up, they are eager to hear what we have to say, and we have an opportunity to share the gospel and pray with them.”
Terry Henderson, NAMB disaster relief operations consultant, said the Alabama team “is doing a good job.”
“They’ve been able to give us a picture of the area they are assessing,” he said, noting the Alabama team is helping keep Baptists’ disaster relief efforts on schedule.
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