At 3:30am on Christmas morning, a sudden wind storm with severe gusts damaged property in Rosemere. A main trunk of a 65-foot tree was toppled by the winds and it crashed into a neighbor’s truck. Debris dangerously filled the intersection. Any unsuspecting driver who happened upon the scene would have suffered serious damage to their vehicle. The danger was immediately reported to 911, but no emergency crew responded. Often during storms of this nature, emergency services are overwhelmed with calls.
RNA board members are certified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, and were trained by the Vancouver Fire Department to respond to emergency situations. The CERT team sprang into action on Christmas morning and ten volunteers worked to clear the debris in order to prevent someone from inadvertently driving right into it in the dark. RNA’s CERT members activated their telephone tree, and assembled with hard hats, reflective vests, flashlights, emergency pylons, and various tools. The wind was still howling overhead, but the CERT team proceeded with caution.
The CERT team moved the huge tree trunk out of the street, cleared large broken branches and swept up broken glass, and piled the debris out of harm’s way. The damaged vehicle was moved and secured. A call was made to 911 to inform emergency services that the problem had been handled and that the road was made safe. The following day, the debris was sawed into manageable pieces, loaded into a neighbor’s pickup-truck, and was delivered to H&H Wood Recycling. The RNA was happy to make the neighborhood safe for holiday travelers and save the City the costs of emergency response.