9.2.05
Governor establishes paid volunteer emergency response group
Governor Dave Heineman has established an Emergency Response Group from Nebraska to help with the reconstruction of the hurricane area in the South. Nebraska Health and Human Services is coordinating the efforts.
According to Doug Woodbeck, project director:
If a person wants to be added to the list of volunteers, I need their name, the organization for which they work, their normal wages (including overtime wages) and the skills they could bring to the table.
If volunteer help was requested, a notice would be sent to Nebraska Health and Human Services, Regulation and Licensure.
We, in turn, would respond that we could send X number of persons and it would cost X dollars to provide the volunteer force.
The request would be accepted or rejected. If accepted, the volunteer force would be mobilized. The volunteers would be hired by the State of Nebraska on a temporary emergency basis.
In essence, the volunteers would be responding as State employees. The State will pay the volunteers and recoup the costs associated with the volunteers from FEMA.
Retired employees also may volunteer. They would be hired as a temporary emergency state worker with a salary based on the current pay for that position.
You also may donate equipment and supplies. See below.
If you have any questions please call Doug at 402.499.6922 or 402.432.4692.
According to the Southwest Emergency Response Organization, the following are needed:
- Accountants
- Architects
- Certified wastewater operators
- Construction workers
- Debris removal workers
- Electricians
- Engineers
- General Skilled Labor
- Mechanics
- Pipeline repair crews
Materials, equipment:
- Building Materials -- Electrical, finishing materials, plumbing, tools, ventilation, structural materials.
- Cell phones, walkie talkies, laptops
- Chemicals
- Generators
- Heavy Equipment -- Backhoes, boats, bulldozers, dump trucks, pumping vehicles, water trucks
- Pipe, pumps and valves