Team Rubicon here to help with tornado recovery
Volunteers with emergency response group include military members, police
Team Rubicon has arrived in Ottawa-Gatineau to help the people hardest hit by last Friday's devastating tornadoes.
The volunteer group is made up of military members, veterans, first responders and others. About 15 members of the emergency response team have come to the capital region from across Ontario.
It's absolutely amazing what these guys are doing, and especially that they're coming from all over province.- Katerina Geist, Arlington Woods resident
On Thursday, the volunteers helped clean up properties in Ottawa's Arlington Woods neighbourhood, hauling away downed branches and using chainsaws to cut up the huge trees that fell in the storm.
Team Rubicon was started by veterans returning from Afghanistan and has now spread around the world, including a Canadian chapter. The volunteers use their professional training to help in disasters.
Homeowners grateful
Katerina Geist, whose home was heavily damaged Friday, was glad to have their help.
"This is absolutely great," Geist said.
She said there's no way she would have been able to clean up as quickly without the assistance.
"It's absolutely amazing what these guys are doing, and especially that they're coming from all over province," she said.
Now the race is on to complete repairs before winter hits. This week's rain has already caused further damage to some homes, including Geist's.
Benefits volunteers, too
Brian Kenny, a Toronto police officer for 35 years, is the team's incident commander. He said their efforts don't just benefit homeowners: the work also helps the volunteers remember why they got into their chosen fields in the first place, he said.
"When people say thank you here when you give them a hand in a disaster-type situation, you know exactly why they're saying thank you, and it's cathartic. It helps us," Kenny said.
"It feels good for us to be able to assist. It's what we were trained for for years, sometimes decades, and quite frankly it's a way of being able to put what we've learned to good work within our own communities."
Team Rubicon is working with emergency officials in Ottawa to make sure they're helping where it's needed most. The volunteers say they plan to stay as long as their help is required.
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