"Haege owns Custom Cut, trimming trees and building things for a living. So the next day Haege signed up as a volunteer with Urban Homeworks, which was coordinating the volunteer effort to help tornado victims. Minneapolis police had the area cordoned off into zones. About 2 p.m., they opened the first zone and volunteers poured in.
Now comes Haege's side of the story. He said he and another volunteer entered a block on Fremont and began clearing branches. He thought he was in the zone to which he was assigned.
"We did about six houses," said Haege. "I told them I was strictly volunteering. I wouldn't even give out business cards if people asked me."
That's when city inspectors stopped Haege and asked for his city license. Since he was volunteering, not contracting, he said didn't need one. The inspector said, "I don't believe you."
Sounds like alot of chaos and the cops probably have their hands full keeping people away from downed power lines, gas leaks, etc. There was no need to fine the guy or be rude though. A simple warning and coordination of where to go help would have worked better.
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Joe wrote: Sounds like alot of chaos and the cops probably have their hands full keeping people away from downed power lines, gas leaks, etc. There was no need to fine the guy or be rude though. A simple warning and coordination of where to go help would have worked better.
I think the city inspector could have been of more use in the aftermath if had called in sick.
A major problem with using volunteers during/after a disaster is in controlling them to keep them and other responders safe and to provide an orderly, systematic response. It is like herding cats!
With that said, however, there is no excuse for rudeness, and I disagree with the fine unless there were other circumstances not mentioned in the article.
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TPP wrote: That's why Wiffie & I are trianed C.E.R.T. memebers!!!!
Too bad you couldn't make the Volunteer Capacity Building Workshop in Breckenridge today. Great seminars, a good exercise with CERT members performing Search and Rescue, plus a bunch of preparedness items just for attending! There were 3 of us from Park County CERT there and although we didn't know each other before the day started, we found each other and bonded
