The piercing roar of a chain saw is typically nothing more than loud racket to most people. But to those who suffered the horrific devastation from the April 27 tornadoes that ripped through Alabama, this sound couldn’t be sweeter when heard from Southern Baptist disaster relief teams aiding in needed cleanup efforts.
Pulling into storm-ravaged areas, these caravans of cleanup/recovery volunteers arrive eager to help. Sporting bright yellow disaster relief t-shirts, they bring with them loads of their own heavy equipment packed into trailers and trucks.
These particular crews work alongside other emergency personnel to aid communities during the aftermath of mass destruction as first responders in the rebuilding process.
Each team is usually comprised of 10–12 volunteers from either a particular Baptist church or association and dispatched through the state organization.
Ron Warren serves as state coordinator of cleanup, recovery and chain saw for Alabama Baptist disaster relief.
The crews labor fervently — up to 10 or 12 hours a day — by assisting in a number of cleanup duties that include cutting downed trees and heavy limbs and removing debris from yards.
“It’s pretty intensive work,” said Larry Teel, director of the Rapid Response Assessment Team (RRAT) and command center team leader in Tuscaloosa. With wind speeds estimated by the National Weather Service (NWS) of more than 200 mph in some areas on April 27, entire neighborhoods were left with hardly a tree standing.
According to Teel, generally half of a team’s members are trained in chain saw safety.
The others work to remove fallen or cut tree limbs from the property they are serving. “All the people on the team are trained in cleanup/recovery and a limited number are trained in chain saw safety,” he said.
Teel said they began an initial drive-through assessment in Tuscaloosa on April 28, the day after the storms hit, to determine how extensive the damage was. By the next morning, there were teams on the ground working with chain saws, removing debris and cutting trees that had landed on residents’ houses, cars and driveways.
“I’ve been involved in disaster relief since 1979. … I’ve not seen devastation as concentrated as this was, as severe as it was,” Teel said. “The devastation in the impact area is worse than I have ever seen; it is just unreal.
“It’s going to be a real long-term recovery, even from our aspect of getting trees removed from properties,” he added.
There are five teams on the ground in the Tuscaloosa area with approximately 70–80 volunteers assisting in cleanup/recovery efforts.
Teel said they continue to pick up new jobs every day and had completed more than 60 jobs at press time.
Cottondale Baptist Church, a Tuscaloosa Baptist Association church, has been the team’s host church. Teel said the church has been a “wonderful host” by feeding and housing the disaster relief workers.
More than 40 other cleanup/recovery teams were serving in nine other areas across the state at press time.
Tom Cole, leader of the Manatee Southern Baptist Association disaster relief cleanup/recovery team from Florida, traveled with his team to serve in Jasper. They arrived in town May 2 and began work the next morning.
When asked what he deemed the most rewarding aspect of serving on a cleanup/recovery team, Cole answered, “The help, healing and hope.”
He said helping people to secure their homes and clear debris and helping them heal by listening to what they’ve been through are both extremely important. “But the most important thing is the hope, and the hope that we can bring the salvation of Jesus Christ to their lives.”
Teel said the most significant thing everyone in the state can do for these teams is pray. “We need prayer for safety (physical and emotional),” he said.
Training is required for those interested in joining Alabama Baptist disaster relief teams, and specific training that pertains to chain saw safety is offered through the Alabama Baptist Chain Saw School. Its purpose is to teach disaster relief personnel “a consistent and safe method of chain saw operation.”
Those who pass the course receive a chain saw patch that is worn on the right sleeve. For additional information and details on upcoming training courses, visit www.sbdr.org.
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