Locals head out to help fire victims

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

As fire officials warned more than half a million San Diego County residents to evacuate their homes in the onslaught of menacing, wind-driven wildfires, a group of Red Cross staff and volunteers from Santa Barbara left today to provide disaster relief services.
Among the 15 volunteers is Louise Kolbert, director of emergency services for the Santa Barbara County Chapter, who will head up the entire American Red Cross Disaster Relief Operation in San Diego.

Michele Rod and Mariah Riling, two local Red Cross staff members, and Beau Lotterman, a volunteer, packed up emergency kits and necessities before they raced to catch a flight Tuesday morning.
"It's going to be chaotic," said Rod, a disaster services specialist. "This is my first deployment, so I don't really know what to expect."
So far, 15 shelters have been set up in San Diego County, with five more possibly in the works, said Janet Stanley, CEO of the Santa Barbara County Chapter. Around 10,000 evacuees set up camp in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium Monday night.
"We're looking at huge numbers that need to be supported," Stanley said.
As volunteers arrive on the scene, they will be asked to help people sign in so loved ones know they are safe and can get in touch with them, she said. They will also provide mental health services, food, water, phones and computers.
Riling quickly unpacked and repacked her Red Cross kit to point out the essentials she will be bringing along: a flashlight, water bottle, first aid kit, poncho and an information packet on the San Diego fire, among other items.
"I'm expecting anything," Riling said. "It's going to be crazy."
Lotterman, on his third national deployment with three local emergencies under his belt including the Zaca Fire, received an e-mail asking for his help, followed by a phone call after he agreed to offer his assistance. Until Monday afternoon, he still didn't know where he would be sent.
"It doesn't matter where I go," Lotterman said.
Local volunteers will stay in staff shelters or nearby hotels, depending on available space, Stanley said. As the volunteers boarded planes and trains to San Diego today, another eight local residents came forward and may be added to the emergency aid ranks, as the need for disaster workers fluctuates.
"We may be asked to boost our numbers," Stanley said, explaining that although staff are strongly encouraged to deploy if the local chapter can continue to operate successfully without them, it is still a voluntary effort.
"But it's not something we resist at all," she said.
For those looking to ways to help in the disaster aid effort, the local Red Cross will also be holding a fundraising drive in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria tomorrow.
Residents can drop off funds in the rear parking lot at Santa Barbara's Red Cross building, 2707 State Street, between 5 and 7 p.m., or at 3070 Skyway Drive in Santa Maria between 4 and 6 p.m. For more information, call 687-1331.
Local residents can also sign up to join the volunteer ranks. Although they won't be deployed to offer aid during the current wildfires, Red Cross officials said they will receive training and be ready to go during the next major emergency.
"Every time there is a major disaster, there will be a deployment," Stanley said.