During an emergency, it’s the simplest items that can take on the greatest significance.
That’s according to Samaritans Disaster Recovery volunteer Bruce Fraser.
After assisting those impacted by fires, floods, storms, road closures and evacuations for almost 25 years, Bruce has seen firsthand the importance of care and compassion in times of extreme stress.
“Personal effects such as toiletries and nappies. Are they important? I recall a stressed young mother was given some hand cream during an evacuation,” Bruce says.
“Two days later she returned to thank us because her anxiety levels fell as she used it.”
Trauma, he explains, can affect people’s behaviour in various ways when they’re under the kind of stress that occurs in a disaster situation.
Learning how best to assist those facing extreme stress has been rewarding for the long-time volunteer.
“We’ve had sessions by the Deaf Society on dealing with those hearing impaired where we learned some basic sign language,” Bruce says.
“And a nurse from a local nursing home has taught us what we might encounter in persons suffering dementia.”
Ongoing learning, technology updates and the generosity of its volunteers has sustained Samaritans’ involvement in disaster situations for more than 25 years.
It began during the Sydney hailstorms of 1999.
“After assisting the Red Cross with visits to check on the residents of more than 20,000 homes affected by the disaster, Sydney Anglicare was invited to officially join the NSW Disaster Plan,” Bruce explains.
The multi-agency involvement included several welfare agencies, each tasked with overseeing a specific function.
“As the Anglican church is so widespread throughout the state, we were given the task of filling in where an agency was short staffed, and also a roving care task to spot any of the affected people at the centre, and guide them to the appropriate agency, within an Evacuation Centre,” he says.
“The powers-to-be then looked to expand this responsibility to other areas in the state.”
For Bruce and his wife Helen, volunteering began in early 2001.
“During the Mount White fires back in 1994, the M1 and rail lines between Gosford and Sydney were cut, and we billeted a family travelling from Queensland for two nights, so we were aware of the anxiety that a disaster can produce,” he says.
The pair soon became heavily involved in Disaster Recovery, taking on the task of training and building Team Central Coast; training volunteers to assist in Evacuation Centres as well as the follow-up task of visiting disaster affected people.
“By the time of the Newcastle Beach grounding of Pasha Bulka (8 June 2007), the flooding and storms, Samaritans had taken on the responsibility of training and expanding the number of teams throughout the diocese,” Bruce says.
Technology has also advanced from telephone ring-arounds, to email, SMS and the Volunteer App (Vapp).
“In that time our local teams have been involved with fires, M1 closures, and Tuggerah Lake floods; on one occasion the residents from a Wyong Nursing Home needed to sleep on the floor of the local golf club, and to be fed and entertained.
“Our teams have staffed Evacuation Centres at the West Gosford RSL, Ettalong RSL, Gosford Leagues, Long Jetty Diggers, and Doyalson RSL.
“Our teams were also involved in visiting houses affected by the Tuggerah Lake floods.
“Our volunteers are a great bunch of willing people who are prepared to put themselves out to serve those who are affected by any sort of disaster, and I thank them for their compassion in serving the community.”
If you would like to volunteer with Samaritans, go to www.samaritans.org.au/get-involved/volunteer-with-us.
This story also features in our latest Encounter magazine.