NAPA-
“I am working here about 10 hours a day and then I am going home and ripping out all of my carpet.” Said Carol Haynes
Haynes is part of a disaster relief team that has been running non-stop since last week’s 6.0 earthquake that shook Napa.
She spends her days helping victims, then it is back home where the quake shattered her fish tank.
It has left a 180 gallon mess of water and gravel to clean up.
“The fish were flung into the opposite end of the adjacent room,” said Haynes. “As I was cleaning up gravel I am coming across dead fish embedded in the gravel.”
But Haynes says it is her job that keeps her going.
The relief center is part of Napa county’s health and social services division.
Less than an hour after the quake, they were prepared to help the most devastated.
“In the first 24 hours plus of our operation our focus was on community health and emergency services,” said Bill Carter, Deputy Director, Disaster Relief.
Each team wears a coat that is color coordinated with a specific role.
“One is logistics, one is a planning role, one is looking at building and operations,” said Howard Himes, Director, Napa Co. Health & Human Services.
Efforts included helping victims coordinate with FEMA or determining which buildings can be used for shelter.
Among the 133 that have been red tagged was the county’s health and human services building.
“We have staff who have been working hard, staff who have been working out of their roles to remain operating and folks who are ready to get back to work,” said Carter.
Many, like Haynes, are at work despite knowing their family or friends have lost everything
“My sister in law lives here, the entire contents of her house are completely gone and they are both disabled,” said Lisa Stornent, Assistant Manager of Quality Management for the disaster relief team.
“My dog is safe. I have cats. My cats are all safe. I am safe, so that is the most important thing,” said Haynes.
