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BY FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE Staff Writer
fandruscavage@republicanherald.com
LLEWELLYN — They went to help.
Article from Pottsville Republican 09/11/2005
Llewellyn Fire Company Chief Michael Pothering Jr. and Mark Oshman, first assistant chief, left recently in the company's 3,000 gallon tanker enroute to Mississippi to render any assistance they could to federal, state or local agencies trying to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Firefighter Joseph Pothering said that when the disaster unfolded and the amount of destruction and loss of life was realized, Llewellyn firefighters met and decided to see what they could do to help.
Pothering the company purchased the tanker with assistance from a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency without whose help the new vehicle probably would not have been possible.
"FEMA was looking for help with tankers so we talked about and thought about how we could help out," he said.
"They (FEMA) helped us and we thought this is a way that we could return the favor and help them," Pothering said.
He said the two officers submitted their names to the list of those willing to help and were on call until Monday morning when they received a call that their services were needed.
""They packed up their stuff and headed south," Pothering said. "We thought of this as a way we can pay them (FEMA) back and show that Schuylkill County is there, once again, to help."
Pothering said the two men headed for a location assigned to them in Mississippi.
The duration of the stay is 17 days, Pothering said, referring to a time limit designated by FEMA for all volunteers.
Pothering said both firefighters were not sure about their assignments when they arrived at the disaster site.
"At this point in time they really don't know what they're going to be doing," Pothering said.
He said assignments ranged from anything from dust control to providing drinking water to victims.
Pothering said that the design of the company's tanker makes it possible to be sanitized and then used to transport 3,000 gallons of water fit for consumption by human beings.
While the tanker is gone, Pothering said the company still has its pumper-engine and has working mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities to provide coverage to their citizens.
"Everything was planned and taken care of," he said referring to any calls for assistance when Pothering and Oshman are away.
Both men, Pothering said, went to help without hesitating.
"They volunteered to go," he said. "They wanted to do whatever they could to help so we (company members) agreed."
Although Pothering and Oshman were the first two Schuylkill County firefighters to render assistance, they were not the first front line responders to go.
Medics from the Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS association linked with more than 50 other EMS units from the state in Harrisburg and traveled south in a caravan to render assistance.
They join numerous emergency personnel and organizations in Schuylkill and Northumberland counties who are offering help in the way of money, manpower, support and equipment to victims of Hurricane Katrina, which caused massive destruction to the Gulf Coast.
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