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j: <br /> 1 <br /> DISASTER RESPONSE <br /> �ftEWt I(c(usE;RECTttft � „ <br /> An AmeriCorps Experience at the MACC <br /> By Jason Ross <br /> On Thursday February 7,AmeriCorps members <br /> were called to house meetings to discuss their <br /> f roles for Winter Storm Nemo! Nemo may have <br /> < , been a small fish but this was no small storm! Six <br /> Bourne House members were sent to help open <br /> shelters and the remaining eight members were <br /> sent to help at the MACC,Multi-agency <br /> Coordination Center. The MACC is a command <br /> r <br /> f5 center where the towns of Cape Cod can call in <br /> ~< and ask for additional resources that may be <br /> needed during the storm. It is also a way to keep <br /> t track of the situation at the regional shelters. <br /> Local meteorologists were telling us to expect <br /> between one and two feet of snow with wind gusts <br /> up to 80 MPH starts rid afternoon. <br /> starting Friday ay <br /> We arrived at the Massachusetts Militaryp Reservation at 11:00 am on Friday. We were put <br /> to work right away. We began to set up the <br /> Members work late into the night at the MACC command center and started training on our roles <br /> for the next few days. Our shifts were 8 hours on <br /> and 8 hours off. The eight of us were divided into <br /> two groups,4 each, and at midnight we began the rotation. Our job responsibilities were to take incoming calls from <br /> local police and fire departments and also from the shelters. We received calls asking us for resources that were needed <br /> or to update us on situations as they occurred. One of us served as Documentation Unit Leader and recorded everything <br /> that came in through phone calls. If a resource was requested, it would be passed to another AmeriCorps member who <br /> was the Situation Unit Leader. If a resource could not be provided locally,then the Situation Leader added a request to <br /> Web EOC, Emergency Operations Center,to see if the state could assist. Web EOC is a website where all local and state <br /> agencies can log in and keep track of all issues,updates, and needed resources around Massachusetts. The snow and <br /> wind were very intense and we received many calls about power lines that were down across roads. We also had <br /> representatives from other agencies in the MACC assisting with power outages and needs of the community. <br /> It was a long 5 days, with very little sleep,but lots of coffee and junk food. However, it was an experience that none of <br /> us at the MACC or the shelters will forget. It is rewarding to be placed in a situation where you know that you are <br /> helping people in the community and making a difference in their lives. As great as the experience was, it is tough to see <br /> a disaster turn the lives of so many people upside down. <br /> l <br /> is <br />