When Devastation Hits!

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, May 23, 2025)

Devastation- noun. 1. great destruction or damage. 2. severe and overwhelming shock or grief.

My thoughts and prayers have been with the residents and property owners in the Brimson area this past week. I have many memories up in this area from childhood through adulthood with many acquaintances and dear friends with cabins and lifelong spaces full of memories for them and their families. One of my favorite fishing spots has been Salo Lake and I have a pretty funny fishing story from Bassett Lake. I also have friends and acquaintances serving on the front lines of the fire as firefighters and first responders. So even though I have been very physically removed from this natural disaster, this devastation, all of the other parts of my being have been there through my loved ones.

When devastation hits it can be so hard to know what the next right thing is to do. Words can feel so impotent and far away with tears so close all the time. Many of us want to help and we don’t know how or when is best to help. Sometimes our help can be more about us than about the people that truly need the help. This has been a complex conversation I have had with a few people this week. Understanding our reasons for giving and checking our intentions, especially in emergencies, is a whole deeper topic for a future conversation.

Typically in human nature we want to help and not hinder. Usually people need special training in order to be able to help in wildfires or other natural disasters. But another way we can help is by being prepared for the possibilities of needing to evacuate or shelter in place until help can come or until the disaster is over. This can be a daunting task for anyone and even more so for someone with a disability.

FEMA, the CDC, and the Red Cross all have great resources online for emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. I highly encourage us all to check them out and make our appropriate plans as well as plans for our loved ones and neighbors experiencing disability. These plans include but are not limited to: practicing your emergency evacuation plans at least twice a year, having spare wheelchairs that are manual and ready to use especially if you are a power chair user, having all medications and medical supplies or needs ready as well as a watertight document holder with all of your needed documentation and identification. Also having a good water supply, non-perishable food, and spare medications are good considerations.

As they say, “the best offense is a good defense.” So far my loved ones' cabins have been spared thanks to the dozer lines and other prevention strategies that the firefighters used in the Brimson Complex Fire. The next right thing for me to do is continue to support those impacted by this devastation, to research the guidelines of the resources mentioned above, to create my own plan and share it with my loved ones, and then to help others do the same.

Another quote that I have said time and time again as a music teacher and a robotics coach is, “We perform like we practice.” The firefighting experts and other first responders practice their craft and protocols over and over until they are second nature. We are the experts of our bodies, our medical needs, and the spaces we live in so we need to be prepared to help them help us when the next devastation comes.

If you or someone you know is experiencing disability and is impacted by the current fires please reach out to the Red Cross for immediate needs, to Access North or Above & Beyond With U for disability specific needs or Community Partners or North Shore Area Partners to get assistance for older adults. We are all here to help each other do the next right thing at the next right time. Be safe everyone.