Rapid deployment team assists Veterans after hurricane

On Aug. 30, Hurricane Idalia tore through the Florida gulf coast with 125 mph winds, flooding streets, damaging homes and shifting the lives of countless impacted by her destructive force.

Perry, a small quiet town in Florida’s big bend, was hit hard, and the VA Clinic located there had to temporarily close its doors for official services due to damage. VA clinical providers, among other resources, were sent to provide assistance to Veterans who were impacted within the surrounding area of Perry.

“It was important we came here to provide in-person services to our Veterans in this community,” said Wende Dottor, North Florida/South Georgia VA director.

From bumps and bruises to scrapes and scratches, staff members were able to provide triage to Veterans, many of whom were without electrical power.

The situation was dire for one Veteran who relies on an oxygen tank to breath when his power went out. His generator was having issues and he was forced to sleep in his vehicle so he could plug in his oxygen tank.

Relocated generator for elderly couple

Dr. Stephen Armisted, assigned to the Earnest I. “Boots” Thomas VA Clinic in Tallahassee, was one of the staff members rapidly deployed. He refused to let this Veteran go unassisted and remained committed to help.

Armisted found out the Veteran and his wife were elderly, living alone and with little help at their house. Their generator was too heavy to carry and, due to carbon-monoxide alarms, the couple was unable to keep the generator running consistently.

Armisted knew he could help. He and Chris King, a DAV maintenance technician and driver, followed the couple to their home and realized the generator just needed to be moved to a better area so it could be accessed and used appropriately.

VA defines its ICARE Value of commitment as working “Diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.”

Armisted’s commitment is the epitome of what VA is all about.

“VA has adopted our ICARE Values and these are our core belief systems,” said Dottor. “What we do in VA is special, and I whole-heartedly support our staff members who go above and beyond to ensure that our Veterans are taken care of, just like Chris and Dr. Armisted did today.”

“We wanted to make sure they were in good shape,” said Armisted. “We were happy, they were happy and I’m just glad we were able to help them. We’re here to help Veterans.”