Preparing for a Red Cross deployment

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Ohio River is flooding; tornadoes and thunderstorms have left five dead in Kentucky, Michigan and Arkansas; and Stewart Coulson is deploying with the Red Cross to help those in need.

The Red Cross is the largest volunteer humanitarian group in the world, Coulson said. He has a long history working with the organization and assists with disaster mental health with both victims and responders.

“I’ll be working with a team that does damage assessment and client resources relief,” Coulson said. “We help with housing and we help with food and shelter.”

The Red Cross is the first line of assistance for people in disaster areas.

“We’re the organization that will help people with their immediate needs,” Coulson said.

At first Coulson thought he was going to Cincinnati, but later on Tuesday afternoon he was informed he was going to Kentucky instead.

Coulson first found out he was going to deploy on Monday. He didn’t know precisely for how long or where, he only knew he was needed.

“I’ve told the Red Cross, ‘if you need me, let me know,’ and that’s what they do and usually within 24 hours I’m on a plane somewhere,” Coulson said.

He usually goes without a lot of information, except the fact that his skills are in demand.

“It’s a level four disaster so it’s affecting a lot of people,” Coulson said. “It looks devastating.”

“That’s a pretty high level,” he said.

Since Coulson found out he was being deployed he’s been packing and preparing.

“I’m feeding my horses for 10 days and getting water for 10 days,” Coulson said. “My wife will stay here and take care of things — she’s a Red Cross responder also. She’s not deploying.”

Coulson will help the victims of a disaster establish a “new normal.”

“Normal has been ripped out from under them, and we help them to be reassured that life is going to continue and things are going to get better,” Coulson said. “I’m coming at all of this from a mental health point of view.”

Coulson spent 35 years working as a middle school counselor, and typically encounters instances of shock, grief and depression in his volunteer deployments.

“I’m interested in the severe emotional impacts that people have and how hard it is to come back,” Coulson said.

Coulson has gone to Canada to respond to the largest wildfire in British Columbian history in 2017 and more recently he went on a two-week assignment in Fort Meyers, Florida, serving Hurricane Irma survivors.

“I have one bag already packed,” Coulson said. “I keep one packed all the time with some the things that I know that I’ll need for Red Cross.”

When Coulson leaves he doesn’t know what his living arrangements or conditions will be. He could be sleeping on a cot, floor or in a hotel.

“All I’ve been told is that there’s severe hardship codes, travel in the area is difficult and obviously a lot of water and flooding,” Coulson said. “Charles City is kind of familiar with some of the flooding scenarios. We kind of know what we’re getting into.”

Coulson will leave around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday to head to Des Moines and then on to Kentucky.

Information from the Associated Press assisted with this article.