RACE received $2500.00 through the Grainger Community Grant Program from The Grainger Foundation. The funds will be utilized to purchase disaster response equipment and supplement training tuition costs for the team.

RACE was honored to participate in the annual Public Safety Day at Recreation Unlimited. This event affords campers the opportunity to meet first responders and to view first responder equipment that they may come into contact with at their facility.

The sixth annual RACE Disaster Relief Open steel-tip dart tournament raised $1079.00 for RACE. Thank you to the Ohio darter community for their continued generosity in support of our team.

RACE assisted the Franklin County Sheriff's Office with a search along the Scioto River for a missing subject. RACE, along with several other volunteer search and rescue teams in central Ohio provided communications, operations, K9 and ground support to local law enforcement and fire during the sweep of the Scioto river in Franklin County.

RACE provided medical and communications support for the 2010 Tour of the Scioto Valley (TOSRV) event.

RACE participated in the Red Cross Safe Family Saturday in Delaware, Ohio. The event afforded team members the opportunity to partner with first responders to provide parents and children critical disaster preparedness and communications planning materials.

KEYSERS RIDGE — Two New Jersey residents were killed and a third injured after their vehicle traveled out of control on eastbound Interstate 68 east of Keysers Ridge upon returning from a weekend visit to West Virginia University where they were considering enrollment, Maryland State Police said.

Jarrett Steven Gallipoli, 20, of Hillsdale, and Anthony Mario Picinic Jr., 20, of Cliffside, were pronounced dead at the scene following the 1:52 p.m. Sunday accident, according to Tfc. Steven LeMay.

Christine Marie Izquierdo, 20, also of Hillsdale, was treated at the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center for minor injuries and was released Sunday evening, police said.

 Izquierdo was first assisted by members of the Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies team from Delaware, Ohio, who were in the area following a training exercise at Green Ridge State Forest. 

“Miss Izquierdo unbuckled herself and crawled out of the vehicle and the RACE team members then rendered medical assistance and comfort that probably kept her from going into shock and minimized her injuries. Her seat belt and her side curtain air bags is what saved her, ” said LeMay.

Excessive speed was a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation, he said.

Gallipoli was driving the two-door, 2006 Honda Civic when he lost control of the car before it skidded through the center median and went airborne. The car overturned several times before it struck a guardrail on the westbound side of the highway and then traveled 56 feet down an embankment.

Izquierdo was a passenger in the front seat. Picinic was asleep in the rear seat before he was ejected from the car, police said.

Northern Garrett Rescue Squad and Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department responded following alert by the Garrett County 911 center.

RACE member Brian Wimer was honored by Comverse through their Social Responsibility Program for his dedication to volunteerism. Comverse awarded RACE a $100.00 grant/donation to recognize our efforts in supporting our community.

RACE hosted a Basic Search and Rescue Training (BSART) at Alley Park in Lancaster, OH. Participants learned basic search techniques, technical rope skills, map and compass skills, details about the incident command system and practiced field task assignments (day and night operations).

RACE member Wendell Adams was honored by the Cardinal Health Foundation through their "Essential to Community" program. The Cardinal Health Foundation awarded RACE $1,070 to support the team's efforts in assisting the community through service and educational opportunities.

R.A.C.E. Team members assisted Grady Memorial Hospital (Delaware, OH) by transporting essential hospital personnel to and from work. The Team worked closely with Grady Memorial's shift Hospital Supervisor to identify and then coordinate transport for employees that were unable to travel to the hospital and return home due to the inclement weather. Assistance was provided to Grady Memorial on February 6, 15 and 27, 2010.

RACE provides assistance to the Delaware General Health District during the H1N1 Flu Clinic conducted at the Delaware Fair Grounds on December 2, 2009.

RACE receives $1,000.00 in financial support from the Wal-Mart Columbus Store 2426 (West Point Plaza) through the Wal-Mart Foundation.

RACE provides assistance to the Delaware General Health District during the H1N1 Flu Clinic conducted at the Delaware Fair Grounds on November 10, 2009.

RACE participated in a Search and Rescue exercise with the Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams at a facility in Apple Creek, Ohio.

RACE co-hosted the 2009 Ohio Search & Rescue (SAR) Conference in Bellville, OH. This is the first event of its kind in Ohio - gathering the trained, volunteer SAR community, first responders and emergency management officials. Ohio and Michigan SAR teams, Ohio first responders and Ohio Emergency Management Agency officials convened to network and partipate in several lectures presented by keynote speaker Robert J. Koester (dbS Productions). The lectures included: Lost Person Behavior, Search Management and Urban Search & Rescue. Mel House, Ohio Emergency Management Agency - Operations Division Director, kicked-off the event on October 10, 2009.

 

RACE receives $500.00 in financial support from the Wal-Mart store in Grove City, OH through the Wal-Mart Foundation.

RACE receives a Polaris 6x6 Ranger utility vehicle awarded by the US Smokeless Tobacco Company (an Altria Company) during the 2009 Operation Ranger campaign.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, initially inspired the USSTC national utility vehicle donation program. Named Operation Ranger, the program’s purpose is to provide a practical, specialized vehicle that could improve emergency response time in hard-to-reach areas and to recognize the invaluable work of America’s first-responder organizations. To date, more than 400 vehicles have been awarded across all 50 states. Operation Ranger donated vehicles have helped rescue and recovery efforts as a result of Hurricane Katrina, wildfires in Texas and tornadoes in Central Florida. According to Andy Lee, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company's Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, the UST began this program after the tragedies of September 11, 2001, with a desire to recognize the services provided by first responders. Lee says, "We did a lot of research and found that there were very few companies that were actually donating equipment to first response organizations. There were several grant programs in place for monetary grants, but really no programs that we could find that were corporations actually donating equipment on a national level to first response organizations."

The utility vehicle will be a tremendous asset to RACE in transporting resources during search & rescue and disaster response missions - greatly impacting the level of care we can provide to those in need.

RACE participated in the Cops & Kids Day event hosted by Westerville Division of Police at Hoff Woods Park. The event affords children of all ages the opportunity to interact in a positive way with law enforcement officers and first responders. RACE provided critical emergency preparedness and lost person prevention materials to parents and children and sponsored a game wheel - featuring emergency preparedness questions and a prize to each child.

RACE assists the Trumbull County Sheriff and responds with several other Ohio Search and Rescue Teams to assist with a SAR mission in Burghill, Ohio.

RACE assists the Carroll County Sheriff and responds with several other Ohio Search and Rescue Teams to assist with a SAR mission in Carroll County Ohio.

RACE was honored to participate in the annual Public Safety Day at Recreation Unlimited. This event affords campers the opportunity to meet first responders and to view first responder equipment that they may come into contact with at their facility.

RACE assumed management and administration responsibility for the Delaware County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. RACE looks forward to working closely with Delaware County Emergency Management and the Delaware Citizen Corps. RACE is currently working to revitalize the CERT program.

RACE receives $400.00 in financial support from the Wal-Mart store in Lewis Center through the Wal-Mart Foundation.

RACE provided medical and communications support for the 2009 Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) event.

RACE participated in Safe Family Saturday in Delaware, OH on April 25, 2009. The team was afforded the opportunity to partner with local first responders to provide parents and children with critical disaster preparedness and communications planning materials.

RACE assists the Carroll County Sheriff and responds with several other Ohio Search and Rescue Teams to assist with a SAR mission in Waynesburg, Ohio.

RACE members participated with local law enforcement officials in a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training session in Lancaster - Fairfield County. Ohio CART is a network of trained public safety and other individuals from various agencies and organizations who work together to respond to missing, endangered or abducted children.

R.A.C.E. Team members assisted Grady Memorial Hospital (Delaware, OH) by transporting essential hospital personnel to and from work. The Team worked closely with Grady Memorial's shift Hospital Supervisor to identify and then coordinate transport for employees that were unable to travel to the hospital and return home due to the inclement weather.

RACE member Wendell Adams was honored by the Cardinal Health Foundation through their "Essential to Community" program. The Cardinal Health Foundation awarded RACE $1,106 to support the team's efforts in assisting the community through service and educational opportunities.

RACE co-hosted a Wildnerness Search and Rescue exercise with the Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams at John Bryan State Park.

RACE receives $500.00 in financial support from the Wal-Mart store in Lewis Center through the Wal-Mart Foundation.

RACE assists the Scouts of America by participating in the 2008 Boy Scouts of Amercia Emergency Preparedness Camporee at Otter Run Camp in East Liberty Ohio. RACE members conducted courses for over 250 scouts in the areas of: Hug-A-Tree, Clue Awareness, Search Techniques, Survival Skills, etc. RACE also coordinated a Lost Scout Exercise, so participants could practice the skills learned during the event.

RACE assists the Carroll County Sheriff and responds with several other Ohio Search and Rescue Teams to assist with a SAR mission in Waynesburg, Ohio.

The RACE team provided Disaster Response support to the Village of Urbancrest at the request of Mayor Joseph Barnes after Hurricane Ike hit central Ohio on September 14, 2008. The team assisted the community with a community damage assessment and debris cleanup/collection. RACE assisted community leaders by coordinating volunteer sign-up, developing work assignments and leading field crews in the clean-up efforts. RACE member Daniel Burry was interviewed by NBC 4 on Friday, September 19, 2008, to gather information about the team and report on details regarding the activation in Urbancrest. Community leaders graciously provided lunch and refreshments to those that volunteered on Saturday.

RACE participated in the Cops & Kids Day event hosted by Westerville Division of Police at Hoff Woods Park. The event affords children of all ages the opportunity to interact in a positive way with law enforcement officers and first responders. RACE provided critical emergency preparedness materials to parents and children and sponsored a game wheel - featuring emergency preparedness questions and a prize to each child.

Team member Gerry Martin was honored through the "Lending Hands" program offered by Henry Schein, Inc. She presented a $300.00 grant to R.A.C.E. on August 25, 2008. The "Lending Hands" program recognizes Team Schein Members who make outstanding community contributions by volunteering their time and effort to support worthwhile, non-profit organizations. Through Gerry's continued hard work, R.A.C.E. has been awarded this grant for several consecutive years.

RACE received financial support from Wal-Mart in Delaware and Grove City, Ohio. Both stores awarded RACE with grants in the amount of $250.

RACE member Brian Wimer was honored by Comverse through their Social Responsibility Program for his dedication to volunteerism. Comverse awarded RACE a $2,000.00 grant/donation to recognize our efforts in supporting our community.

RACE participated in Safe Family Day in Delaware, OH on April 26, 2008. The team was afforded the opportunity to provide attendees with disaster preparedness materials and to speak with parents and children about emergency preparedness and communications planning.

R.A.C.E. members were honored at a celebration luncheon to recognize their unwaivering dedication and contributions in volunteerism. Call to Service: Jack McCoy, Dan Hodge, Tari Hodge, Matt Ferguson, Chris Williams; Gold Level: Gerry Martin, John Knittle, Wendell Adams, Scott Merritt, Beth Huhn; Bronze Level: Doug Taylor; Executive Staff Award of Excellence: Brian Wimer; Chairman's Award: Scott Merritt, Beth Huhn.

R.A.C.E. Team members assisted Grady Memorial Hospital (Delaware, OH) by transporting essential hospital personnel to and from work. The Team worked closely with Grady Memorial's Safety Officer and each shift's Hospital Supervisor to identify and then coordinate transport for employees that were unable to travel to the hospital and return home due to the inclement weather.

RACE joins the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference (www.asrc.net). The Appalachian Search & Rescue Conference (ASRC) is a wilderness search and rescue organization that provides professional volunteers trained in search management and field operations for missions in the mid-Atlantic region. Services include all-weather search and rescue for missing persons and downed aircraft, complete search and rescue management, as well as safety and survival education. The conference is comprised of individual groups of professional volunteers who dedicate extensive amounts of time for rigorous training, search missions, group functions, preventative instruction, and public awareness. ASRC has over 25 years of experience and routinely trains other state, federal, and local government representatives in the art of search and rescue. With ten teams spanning four states and over 350 active members, ASRC is one of the largest SAR resources in the country.

Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies Team Members activated to assist the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference in locating a lost resident in Lumberport, WV. The team completed several hasty and area searches in and around Lumberport and Cambria. Members also assisted search efforts by gathering critical information for Incident Command by conducting interviews with local residents.

RACE Member Honored with Volunteer Leadership Grant. On behalf of team member Wendell Adams (Outreach and Training Officer), RACE was awarded a Volunteer Leadership Grant from Cardinal Health Foundation in the amount of $2,500. The Cardinal Health Foundation Grant is in support and recognition of Mr. Adams' dedication to volunteerism and leadership role with Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies, Inc.

RACE provides support during the Franklin County Community Disaster Exercise. R.A.C.E. assisted with the Franklin County Community Disaster Exercise. Team Members coordinated all logistics for patient transport from the Crew Stadium Staging Area. Team Members worked with MedFlight, COTA and multiple Medic Units to ensure patients were packaged and transported to the appropriate medical facility or alternate staging area.

Delaware Wal-Mart associates presented the Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies Team with a $1000.00 grant today. Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies plans to use the funds to purchase much needed supplies that were lost due to theft. The donation was made by Wal-Mart as a part of the company's community grant program.

"Our associates were excited to make this donation to such a worthwhile cause," said Mike Taylor, Wal-Mart Manager. "The money will be utilized for programs in the local community that we are glad to support. This is just a small part of Wal-Mart's ongoing commitment to the communities in which we operate."

RACE joins search efforts for Warren County Women. R.A.C.E. assisted the Warren County Sheriff Office and the Otterbein Retirement Living Community in Lebanon, Ohio - in the search for Ada Wasson and Mary Walters. Search efforts were expanded to include all Townships in Franklin County Ohio and authorities requested assistance in thoroughly covering the area. The R.A.C.E. Team assisted by completing a thorough search of Blendon and Sharon Townships (Franklin County).