Local Work From IRMA Still Continues Today

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Sep 23 2017 12:28 PM

DOTHAN - HOUSTON COUNTY: Work from Hurricane IRMA still continues today in Dothan - Houston County.

This morning, courtesy of AVERITT Express and Pansey Volunteer Fire Chief Brandon Givens, cots on loan from the Butler County Sheriff were being transported back to Butler County.

During the safe haven period for evacuees some 300 cots were loaned from Butler County to Houston County. AVERITT Express and Pansey Fire Chief Brandon Givens volunteered to come go pickup the cots and bring them to the Houston County Farm Center as a staging area. Houston County Sheriff Cpl. Ray Arnold met Givens to unload the pallets of cots with a forklift.

Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Director Chris Judah and Deputy Director Leigh Martin managed the deployment of the cots to different places where they were needed. That deployment was with the assistance of Matt Boster, Nick Stringer, Ricky Beck, Robert Jones and others.

This morning at 8 AM Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Director Chris Judah, Matt Boster and Rickey Stokes with EMA, Sheriff Deputy Ray Arnold and Pansey Fire Chief Brandon Givens met at the Farm Center loading the cots in AVERITT Express truck and back to Butler County they went.

The Columbia Baptist Association was able to secure cots from some camps they had. The American Red Cross REFUSED to open local shelters. The AMERICAN RED CROSS was zero help. However we were able to get about 60 cots from their trailers.

But when they were requested to open shelters they refused. Not only in Dothan - Houston County but also in Ozark - Dale County.

The local community, the church families, the business community, the Salvation Army, they all stepped up to the plate and helped Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management with their partners: Dothan Police, Houston County Sheriff, Dothan Fire, all Houston County municipalities, volunteer fire and volunteer rescue and Pilcher Ambulance, take care of those who sought safe havens in Houston County.

DO NOT - DO NOT donate to the American Red Cross. They were no help. If you wish to make financial contributions do so to the local Salvation Army. They stepped up to the plate and helped feed hundreds of people along with the church and business community.

THANKS to AVERITT Express for their contribution of the truck and trailer along with Chief Brandon Givens.

THANKS to Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza for his assistance in the cots matter for the staging area and equipment to load/unload the cots.