Would lives have been saved in the floods of the Texas Hill Country if there had been an organized and trained citizen guardian group? We will never know the answer to that question.
In Alabama, one area is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, storms, flooding, swimming and boating accidents, and oil rig fires. It’s the southernmost point of Alabama – Dauphin Island.
The south Mobile County town is on an island, connected to the mainland by a three-mile-long bridge. The island, bridge and people have been hit by storms and floods over the centuries. Hurricane Frederick completely took out the bridge in 1979, leaving the island accessible only by boat and airplane until the bridge was rebuilt.
Now, the leaders and residents of the island are about to organize and train citizens to assist in emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The Dauphin Island Guardians will meet and form on Tuesday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dauphin Island Community Center.
Anyone can come and learn ways to train and help. Prospective attendees are asked to fill out a Dauphin Island Guardians Interest Form.
The group is especially in need of citizens with the following skills:
Medicine/Health care/EMS
Search
Construction/Demolition
Leadership
Firefighting
Rescue
Disaster Response
Emergency Preparedness/Management
Clerical Work
Organization/Logistics
Tree Removal/Chainsaw work
Military Experience
Past Volunteer experience
Special Education/Caring for special populations
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok content creation)
Public Relations
Dauphin Island Public Safety posted the following on social media:
Our community is stronger when we work together — and we want YOU to be part of something incredible.
The Dauphin Island Guardians are neighbors helping neighbors through preparedness, response, and recovery. Whether you're new to emergency response or just looking to lend a helping hand, there's a place for you on our team.
Introductory Meeting:
Dauphin Island Community Center
Tuesday, July 29th at 6:30 PM
Come learn more about the program, meet other community members, and see how you can get involved. No experience necessary — just a heart for service and a commitment to keeping Dauphin Island safe and resilient.
Fill out our quick interest form here:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdiPzWMkQ8.../viewform...
Share this post and information with your friends and neighbors!
Let’s build something great together. We’d love to see you there!
Dauphin Island. The sunset capital of Alabama.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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