By Emily Devlin
The Sentinel & Enterprise
LEOMINSTER, Mass. — Emergency management officials say they’ll take all the help they can get, and these days, it seems there is an abundance of people ready to answer the call of duty.
Charlie Coggins, director of the Emergency Management Office on Carter Street, said in a tough economic climate, it’s not unusual to see an influx of people wanting to volunteer their time.
That has certainly been the case recently, with 16 new people formally appointed by the City Council as Emergency Management volunteers in the last six months.
“We’ve always found the state of the economy will impact the availability of volunteers,” Coggins said.
Coggins, the longtime director of the city department, said some who have joined up — either as volunteer mechanics, emergency medical technicians, rescue divers, or auxiliary police officers — are looking to fill their time and help their community as they look for jobs.
Coggins said Leominster residents have special skill sets that are of great use to the Emergency Management Office, which is responsible for planning for and responding to weather emergencies and natural disasters, such as the 2008 ice storm.
The fact that you’ve volunteered to help the community may be a good resumé-builder, according to Coggins. But he believes the people who join up also have an underlying desire to serve.
That’s true for Michael Rathier, a professional EMT who recently had his hours at his full-time job cut. Rathier was appointed as an emergency medical volunteer last month, and he’s anxious for the moment when he can put his background to use in the service of others.
“I just like to help out and give of my time when I can,” said Rathier, who is still working as an on-call EMT for the town of Princeton. “It makes people feel good to know there are people out there to help them out.”
There are about 70 volunteers who make the Emergency Management Office tick. Assistant Director Jim LeBlanc remembers the round-the-clock service people delivered during the ice storm two years ago. During the worst of it, the Emergency Management Office became a bunker for city workers and officials, the Army National Guard, and dedicated volunteers.
“Believe it or not, people just plain want to give back to the city; we’ve been running into a lot of that,” LeBlanc said.
The operation seems to fall together by word of mouth, according to LeBlanc. One volunteer hears about an Emergency Management need, and asks friends and family with the appropriate skills to join.
For example, Luis Ramos, who had volunteered in the past, recently decided to use his expertise as a mechanic to work on vehicles and equipment housed in the massive Emergency Management garage.
Since he was reappointed two months ago, Ramos recruited two more mechanic friends. The trio will repair and maintain equipment as needed.
“We have a whole new unit, just for that particular purpose,” Ramos said.
Volunteerism is good for the resumé, Ramos said, but community service is just in his blood.
“I have two brothers who are police officers,” Ramos said. “I have knowledge of working on vehicles and (Emergency Management) needed a mechanic.”
Councilor-at-large James Lanciani, who served as Emergency Management director years ago when it was known as Civil Defense, said the city is lucky that volunteers have stepped up to the plate to keep residents safe.
“There’s so many things volunteers do out there — people don’t realize it,” Lanciani said.
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