To All Emergency Service Responders and friends  

Please take a moment and read the 911 CARES Hurricane Ike Activation notice listed below.

911 CARES - Hurricane Ike Activation!

Dear friends. We need your help! We have received e-mails from a number of individuals and agencies. There is an immediate need for supplies, clothing and toiletries. Now that the storm has passed, we have networked with the Texas TERT Team Coordinator, Texas NENA and National NENA to confirm the need and start this very important activation.

Galveston, Orange and Beaumont areas have an intense need. This is for the many dispatchers that have been working since the hurricane. They are running out of fresh clothes and daily needs. We are only beginning to see what the losses are for these many

9-1-1 heroes since most have been working for days and have been unable to check their homes.

 Here is the plan! Please collect the following items:

Imagine your own dispatch center. After three days of eating everything in the cabinets, what's left? Get things like ice tea mix, coffee, sugar, creamer, snack stuff, etc.

These dispatch centers are in evacuated areas of Texas so they can't just send someone to a FEMA shelter to get stuff. If you are in driving distance from Houston, there is a need for cases of bottled water also.  

At this time, we are not asking for money or gift cards. There isn't a mechanism to shop locally yet (everything is closed or damaged) and we don't have a list of specific needs other than what is listed above.

CLOTHING NOTE.  These agencies have NO fresh water, no washing machines, no dryers, etc. PLEASE wash EVERYTHING you send!

On Monday, September 22th, the Dutchess County 911 Dispatching Staff will begin to collect the listed donations on behalf off 911 CARES for the dispatchers in Texas. I have asked Dispatchers Sharon Tuttle and Peggy Mulligan, who both participated in the mutual aid dispatcher request for the floods that occurred in Broome County in June of 2006, to take the lead on this task.  Due to the fact of immediate need, the cutoff for donations will be on Tuesday, September 30^th.  If you would like to do a cash donation, Sharon and Peggy will utilize the funds in purchasing brand new items. The following donation drop off-sites will be at Pleasant Valley Station 1, NDP HQ, East Fishkill Fire District HQ, Fairview Fire House and the Amenia Town Hall.  Any questions, please contact Peggy Mulligan at 845-742-7706.

On behalf of the Dutchess County 911 Dispatching Staff, thank you all for your support in advance - Pat Calamari, Operations Director, Dutchess County 9-1-1