By: Mary H. Lee, Red Cross Disaster Health Services Volunteer

“As we were standing outside our newly renovated home in Belmont on October 17, 1989 at 5 pm, we shook hands with  our contractor to thank him for a job well done. Moments later the ground shook under us. We looked at our house and smiled as it was still standing. At that time little did we know of the severity of the earthquake.  

Late that evening I was called in by the San Mateo Red Cross Chapter to staff a shelter as Disaster Health Service (DHS) Nurse. It was eerie to drive down a darkened highway 101 with no cars on the road to the shelter located in a hotel in Burlingame. The people in the hotel shelter were a tour group that had their trip interrupted. It was a very quiet night. 

The next few days I worked in Disaster Welfare Inquiry (DWI), now called Reconnecting Family Links, till a fellow DHS nurse saw me and got me back into Health Services.  

I was assigned for the evening shift to a shelter located in the Marina Junior High School in San Francisco. The shelter manager with Red Cross identification was so happy to see me, as I was the first person with Red Cross identification on site.  

I was assigned for the evening shift to a shelter located in the Marina Junior High School in San Francisco. The shelter manager with Red Cross identification was so happy to see me, as I was the first person with Red Cross identification on site.  

The shelter was staffed by medical doctors and nurses from a nearby military hospital. there was a roomful of sick patients on cots, medical equipment, and medications. From what I learned from our training, Red Cross shelters are not for people who need medical attention and care.

Frankly I was not welcomed by the medical staff.  

I informed my supervisor of the situation. She came shortly and explained the Red Cross shelter protocol, and thanked them for being there and now Red Cross would take over. 

After that I worked in our Disaster Health Services Headquarter assisted with managing our activities. Needless to say this disaster was a wake-up call for all emergency response organizations.

In Disaster Health Services (DHS) we formed a nursing committee comprised of nurses from the Red Cross Bay Area Chapter. One of the first projects was to create first aid kits for shelters. Over the years I participated in recruiting and training nurses from various sources, such as nursing students, Public Health Nurse, various nurses associations, and groups of nurses of a community that requested it.  

Our other projects were to keep our staff health record, and protocols updated. 

I think we, as a team, got Health Services off to a good start, and now they carry on to improve our services.  

I have continued my volunteer work as youth advisor of the San Mateo YES Team, which is no longer in existence. Currently I am with Service to the Armed Forces. 

To date I have volunteered for 66 years since high school.”