Today over 300 “souls” were exposed to a chemical agent during a Haz Mat Emergency Exercise at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. This chemical agent quickly turned all souls into Zombies. RACE assisted the Delaware Police Department with Zombie containment in the quarantine area. A special thank you to Delaware County EMA and all of the Emergency Service organizations in Delaware that afforded us the opportunity to participate in the exercise.

In the early morning hours several central Ohio residents are awoken by loud tornado sirens. Thousands of calls are placed to 911 asking for assistance and emergency services are quickly overwhelmed....

This is a very real scenario that dozens of US cities have had to deal with in recent years. In an effort to provide the best response possible to a situation such as this, RACE conducted a Disaster Response/Search and Rescue Exercise on October 15, 2011. The exercise was held on the property of a former home for the deaf on Sunbury Road in Westerville and followed national standards of the Homeland Security Exercises and Evaluation Program. RACE, Disaster Immediate Response Team, Midwest K9 and Franklin County CERT practiced skills and multi-agency interoperability, while fully addressing a wilderness search and a disaster-based urban search during the event. We were honored to be joined by Brian Galligher, Director - Delaware County EMA, John Donahue, Fire Chief - Delaware Fire Department and Chris Williams, Franklin County CERT Coordinator, as well as a team of local photographers.

A special thank you to several central Ohio businesses that sponsored the event: The Home Depot, Roush Hardware & Rental, Magnetic Springs, Lowe's and Costco.

RACE was selected by the Delaware County Fair Board to provide basic first aid services to the patrons, exhibitors and vendors of the 2011 Delaware County Fair. RACE manned the stationary first aid building and provided a remote first aid unit immediately adjacent to the race track on Jug Day. The partnership provided us the opportunity to work closely with Fair organizers, Delaware County EMS and law enforcement - as well as meet hundreds of Delaware County residents that attended the Fair.

RACE participated in the Westerville Cops & Kids Day event conducted at Hoff Woods Park in Westerville, Ohio. This events affords kids of all ages the opportunity to interact with law enforcement and first responders in a positive way. RACE members provided disaster preparedness materials, SAR prevention material and the opportunity for children to win prizes by spinning a wheel to answer questions regarding both of the aforementioned topics. RACE was awarded 3rd Place in the Specialized Equipment category by the Westerville Police Department.

RACE assisted the Fayette County Pennsylvania Sheriff's Office in their search for a missing person near Mill Run, PA.

RACE member Jennifer Stacy was honored by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation through their Good Works Volunteer Program for her dedication to volunteerism. JPMorgan Chase Foundation awarded RACE $1,000.00 in recognition of Jennifer's hours of volunteerism from mid-2010 through mid-2011.

RACE members elected five additional RACE Executive Staff members to the support the ever growing needs of the organization. With the compliment of new positions, the RACE Executive Staff is now nine members strong. The increased size of the Executive Staff with the addition of these leadership positions will support not only the RACE membership, but also the community RACE serves. Congratulations to the newest members of the RACE Executive Staff: Wendell Adams, Daniel Burry, Karen Burry, Brian Maier and Tony Walker.

RACE was honored to participate in the annual Public Safety Day at Recreation Unlimited in Ashley, OH. This event affords campers the opportunity to meet first responders and view first responder equipment.

RACE provided the Emergency Preparedness/Search & Rescue training segment at the 2011 Central Region Boy Scouts of America Powder Horn at Camp Lazarus in Delaware, Ohio. Midwest K-9 Search Unit of Central Ohio was also instrumental in providing a K9 demo as part of the training segment. The Powder Horn is a fast paced training opportunity designed to expose adult leaders to a variety of resources. RACE and Midwest K-9 offered 6 - 45 minute segments dedicated to an active Search & Rescue operation. Leaders were exposed to each component of an actual search mission during the 45 minute segment and a K9 demo.

RACE provided stationary and roving medical and communications support for the 50th Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) bicycle touring classic.

Members of RACE traveled to Marlinton, WV on April 8, 2011 to participate in the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s full scale search and rescue exercise.  The exercise, called “Operation Be Prepared”, was designed to test readiness of agencies across the state of West Virginia.  RACE participated by invitation of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference (ASRC).  During the exercise, RACE had members in three different field teams as well as in two different Incident Command roles.  The exercise concluded on April 11, 2011 with many successful finds of the subject and many lessons learned.

Following the exercise was the ASRC General Meeting and ASRC Board Meeting.  Both were held on the site of the search. The ASRC Board voted to allow the General Membership to vote on accepting RACE as a full member.  At the ASRC General Meeting, there was a vote to accept RACE as a full member of ASRC.  The vote was unanimous and RACE is now a full member of ASRC.

RACE is proud to be the newest member of ASRC and thanks their colleagues in ASRC for their confidence in our organization.

RACE assisted the Logan Police Department in their search for a missing person in the Hocking County Ohio area.

The 1st Annual RACE Chili Cook Off was a great success. A special "Thank You" to AmVets Post 89 on Westerville Road for their generousity and support. AmVets Post 89 also served as the site for the Cook Off. Thank you to Costco Wholesale - Columbus 632 for their generous donation of supplies for the event. Four judges were on hand to critique all chili entries with prizes awarded to the top three entries: 1st Place - Jay Cantieri; 2nd Place - Nancy Zanski; 3rd Place - Kenny Robinson

RACE members participated in the 2011 Ohio SAR Conference conducted at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge in Oregon, OH. Conference topics included: Electronic Mapping, Utilizing Mounted SAR, Responsibilities of Non-Profit Organizations, CanineNeurophysiology and a Debriefing the Millbury OH tornado.

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.

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 assisted the Albany Fire Department and Athens County Sheriff's Office in their continued search for a missing person in Albany, Ohio. RACE provided ground and communications support during the search effort.

RACE in the News / YouTube

RACE assisted the Albany Fire Department and Athens County Sheriff's Office in their search for a missing person in Albany, Ohio. RACE provided ground support during the search effort.

RACE participated in the 2010 Delaware Ohio Christmas Parade.

RACE assisted the Knox County Ohio Sheriff's Office and Knox County EMA in their search for three missing persons in Mt. Vernon, OH. RACE provided ground, communications and operations support during the search effort.

RACE participated in the 2010 Columbus Ohio Veteran's Day Parade.

RACE was honored to participate in the First Annual Senior Health & Safety Day at the Center for Older Adults in Delaware, OH - hosted by the Council for Older Adults of Delaware County. RACE assisted by providing support with facility setup, parking logistics and tear-down. RACE also provided a display to share emergency preparedness materials with patrons of the event.

RACE member Jennifer Stacy was honored by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation through their Matching Gift & Volunteer Program for her dedication to volunteerism. JPMorgan Chase Foundation awarded RACE $1,000.00 in recognition of Jennifer's hours of volunteerism from mid-2009 through mid-2010.

RACE was selected by the Delaware County Fair Board to provide basic first aid services to the patrons, exhibitors and vendors of the 2010 Delaware County Fair. RACE manned the stationary first aid building and provided a remote first aid unit immediately adjacent to the race track on Jug Day. The partnership provided us the opportunity to work closely with Fair organizers, Delaware County EMS and law enforcement - as well as meet hundreds of Delaware County residents that attended the Fair.

RACE participated in a multi-agency Search and Rescue exercise in Morgan County. The other groups involved included members of The Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams, the Central Ohio Mounted Search Unit (COMSU) and Licking County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The exercise included planning, tasking and search efforts for a missing hunter and 4 other missing persons. The exercise was an excellent opportunity to mix various types of SAR resources and practice both Incident Command and search skills.

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 In The News

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).