After the disastrous storm that wreaked havoc across the region on May 21, the township was left in a state of disrepair. Power lines were downed, roofs and cars were crushed by fallen trees, and debris was left strewn across lawns and roads.
Enter Team Rubicon. Established in 2010, Rubicon hires retired veterans who wish to continue serving their communities, leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Rubicon works with first responders, medical professionals, and technology to provide relief from disasters no matter where they strike.
“We’ve been provided with a list of requests from citizens, and we’re just in the process of collating and analyzing those requests in order that we identify the most vulnerable and address them first,” said Eric Goodwin, an incident commander for Team Rubicon. “That is the first step, which is always the most challenging.”
The response has been positive on all fronts, according to Goodwin. Most people are seeing downed trees and damaged roofs, so residents are grateful, relieved and sometimes emotional when Team Rubicon shows up.
“We’ve been welcomed with open arms by this community,” Goodwin said. “Our working relationship has been top-notch.”
