By: johnwike.near
John Wike
It rained heavily in Somerstown. It felt like the rains were pouring down with such vigor as to drag the small seaside town down into the depths of the ocean. The town had not seen such downpour in years or probably never but the rains had started getting bad about five years before.
A storm raged and the rain didn’t stop. The town’s local police were already mobilizing to evacuate residents to safe zones. The town was getting flooded already and that meant leaving was a difficult task. People kept trying to save certain items to carry along, while the cops wanted everyone to move out quicker than they were doing, and there was no help in sight. The officers were clearly overwhelmed.
News reached the neighboring town that was about five kilometers away. People were already beginning to take precautionary measures should the storm hit their town. But MarmaJ jumped into her truck. She heard distress calls over the radio so she decided to drive down to the police station. She reasoned that the local police would need volunteers to go help with the evacuation and rescue mission at Somerstown.
“Good day, chief,” MarmaJ greeted the officer at the door. He was a regular at her dance and aerobics class.
“I believe you’ll be needing volunteers to go help with the work at Somerstown?” she asked as she looked around, observing the complete lack of urgency at the station which clearly meant they weren’t mobilizing to go help. MarmaJ looked disappointed, turning to the officer for an explanation.
“What is happening, Chief?” she wanted an explanation. The officer replied, “I’m so sorry ma’am, the boss has insisted that we wait until the entire situation has been analyzed. He wants to decide how best to help”.
MarmaJ was already walking away from the officer – she didn’t need to wait for him to finish explaining. “Analyze the situation? How ridiculous,” she thought to herself as she stormed into the office of the Police Superintendent. They knew her at the station; she was popular in the town, something of a local folkhero.
She didn’t often visit the station so when she walked into the office, and no one stopped her.
“Good day, ma’am” the Police Chief greeted as he gestured to her that she take a seat. “why aren’t we doing something already? The officers over there at Somerstown are overwhelmed and several people are clearly trapped.” MarmaJ was almost fuming from her nose as she expressed her surprise at the seeming indifference and lack of urgency.
“We should be helping. I am here to volunteer. You know I worked 15yrs in special units — disaster management.” MarmaJ continued.
The Police Chief sat still, his eyes firmly fixed on MarmaJ as she talked with her hands all over the place. MarmaJ was already impatient so she got up.
“I’ll call some of my friends that live close enough to get here quickly. Professionals. I’ll mobilize them and other volunteers to go join the teams at Somerstown.” She was talking to the Chief, not caring if he responded.
“That’s fine, ma’am. I am sorry we were taking time to respond,” the Chief said as he stood up.
MarmaJ walked out quickly, reaching for her phone in her pocket. She called Tony her former partner at the service, and she briefed him about all that’s going on and asked that he help mobilize their former colleagues in and around the town. She was going to put out word on social media platforms to get volunteers with specific skills and abilities in the town.
“Volunteers needed for rescue mission at Somerstown. Volunteers should preferably be physically capable to help out, could posses handy skills, and some experience rescuing folks. Please we need help. Meet at the Police station in town.”
She sent out the message. Now she made calls to community leaders and popular people in the town asking that they help spread the message through their own channels.
It was already thirty minutes since MarmaJ made the calls and sent out messages. About sixty people had already gathered at the station to volunteer, it was way more than what was needed. So, she and eight of her former colleagues selected twelve out of the volunteers. They’d leave in two groups, joining some of the local police officers who were already prepared to leave for Somerstown.
MarmaJ got into her truck and joined the teams, her mind firmly focused on the situation at Somerstown. She wanted to be there as quick as possible, she felt they had wasted too much time.
They were now four kilometers away from Somerstown. The officers were making calls over the radio, they wanted to inform those at Somerstown that help was coming but the radio was down.
MarmaJ insisted that they keep trying as she wanted the officers over there to know that help was on the way.
Two kilometers away now. MarmaJ tried again, she had been on the radio for about twenty-five minutes.
MarmaJ tried once more, holding down the transmission button and speaking loudly and slowly: “Help is on the way to Somerstown. We have a team of over forty persons, officers included. Can anyone hear me?”
“Copy. Yes. Did you say you’re on your way with help? This is officer Riez.”
Someone had responded on the radio, an officer from Somerstown. “Yes! Help is on the way. We’re two kilometers out and we’re a team of over forty persons, officers included”, MarmaJ responded hurriedly.
“Just in time, ma’am. Just in time. We are glad you’re on your way. We need all the help we can get. Thank you,” the officer responded, clearly excited and relieved.
MarmaJ was also relieved and geared up to swing into action. Someone has to step up when there’s a call for help.