Over the past month, almost 50 County employees served as Disaster Service Workers and over 60 volunteers from our Sheriff's Search & Rescue assisted in Butte County for the Camp Fire. County staff and volunteers witnessed the complete devastation from the Camp Fire and worked to help the community start the recovery process, from serving as crisis counselors for fire victims to helping locate and treat animals who survived the fire.
Nevada County is extremely grateful to the caring and dedicated staff who jumped in to help our neighboring County. Their experiences while assisting are nearly unimaginable, yet very real as a fire like the Camp Fire could happen in our community too. Read about the experiences of a few Disaster Service Workers and Search & Rescue Volunteers below:
Kim Blix, Social Services and Search & Rescue Volunteer
“As an employee of Health & Human Services Agency, I'm surrounded by people who want to help others. It's our nature to be of service. When tragedy strikes, that instinct for many of us amplifies by ten, but what do you do when there's absolutely nothing that can be done? When a tragedy that devastates thousands can't be resolved or remedied? That's the situation that hundreds of service providers and rescue workers found themselves in during the aftermath of the Camp Fire. What can be offered when so much has been lost? Compassion? Time? Money? In the capacity that I served in, which was with Nevada County Search & Rescue, that service came by way of closure. Our mission, along with hundreds of other volunteers and First Responders from all over the state, was to find the remains of missing loved ones. There was nothing typical, glamorous, or gratifying about the assignment, but it was the service that was needed and there is something soothing about doing something…anything…that needs to be done. I couldn't begin to explain the magnitude of effort I witnessed by our Search & Rescue and Law Enforcement teams up in Butte County but I can tell you that in Nevada County we are surrounded by good- good to its greatest definition and value. Good people, doing good things, for good reasons. And I for one am proud to walk, work, and volunteer amongst them.”
Stefanie Geckler, Animal Control
“So many pictures have been posted showing the terrible aftermath of this fire but, quite honestly, those pictures don't it justice. Seeing it, first hand, is quite hard for the heart and mind to accept.
There is no color. What once was green grass, blue sky and sunshine is now just different shades of gray. There is no sound. No birds chirping, no voices, nothing. There's no life present other than scared, hungry, injured critters trying to survive until help arrives.
My partner and I couldn't utter a word as we drove through the fire's devastation looking for any living creature. Not one word... until we heard our first sound- a rooster's crow! That amazing rooster led us to a number of burned or injured animals that we could get out to a safe place for food and vet care but there are so many that are still there waiting to be saved. Sadly, many of them no longer have owner's that would have eventually claimed them. It's overwhelmingly heartbreaking!”
Leo Hyde, Behavioral Health
“It was a privilege to be able to assist Butte County in a time of need. The unprecedented scale of this crisis just underlines the need for us all to work together to serve the public. During my time at the Disaster Recovery Center, I heard some truly horrific tales by people who witnessed events that are only normally seen in a war zone. I hope that by my being present, and with the services that I provided, that I was able to ease their burden at least a little bit and maybe make a difference in their lives, at least momentarily.”
Thank you to all the County staff and volunteers who assisted with the Camp Fire in Butte County:
County Disaster Service Workers
- Charlene Weiss-Wenz—Senior Public Health Nurse
- Jonte Vega—Public Health Nurse I
- Diane Miessler—Senior Public Health Nurse
- Leo Hyde (multiple days)—Behavioral Health Worker III
- Chris Mausolff—Behavioral Health Therapist
- Leslie Bauman –BH Clinical Supervisor
- Julie Choquette—BH Therapist
- Dahlia Kindschi —BH Therapist
- Hayley Elrod—BH Therapist
- Katherine Walden—BH Therapist
- Michelle Cowie—BH Therapist
- Mike Sullivan—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Justin Martin—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Sean Scales—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Bob Jakobs—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- John Dzioba—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Mike Vingom—Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Andrew Liller—Deputy Sheriff
- Micah Arbaugh—Deputy Sheriff
- Josh Stanis—Deputy Sheriff
- Rory Sonnier—Deputy Sheriff
- Chris Stanio—Deputy Sheriff
- Damian Norden—Deputy Sheriff
- Brandon Tripp—Deputy Sheriff
- Brett LaCosse—Deputy Sheriff
- Rusty Greene—Deputy Sheriff
- Jason Clinkinbeard—Deputy Sheriff
- Brandon Corchero—Deputy Sheriff
- Olivia Rodriguez—Deputy Sheriff
- Matthew Lazzaretto—Deputy Sheriff
- Jim Ballenger—Deputy Sheriff
- Dennis Haack—Deputy Sheriff
- Trevor Bansemer—Deputy Sheriff
- Zachary Snook—Deputy Sheriff
- Caleb Warr—Deputy Sheriff
- Anne Dunne—Deputy Sheriff
- Josie Strachan—Deputy Sheriff
- Dustin Moe—Deputy Sheriff
- Matthew Morgan—Deputy Sheriff
- Caleb Toderean—Deputy Sheriff
- Kristin Morgan—Deputy Sheriff
- Shane Peltzer—Deputy Sheriff
- Taylor King—Deputy Sheriff
- Stefanie Geckler—Senior Animal Control Officer
- Heather McCormack—Animal Control Officer
- Rich Cassens—Animal Control Officer
- Kim Blix—Department of Social Services
Sheriff Search and Rescue Volunteers
- Ivan McGurk
- Steve Levy
- Harold Bayne
- Tim Nunnink
- Lynn Macaulay
- Jerry Weidler
- Sharon Hollis
- Noa Roske
- Dale Collins
- Ken Fernandez
- Kati Roske
- Kathy Glenwinkkele
- Bill Macaulay
- Karen Sable
- Tim Horner
- Kelly Lear
- Cliff Brown
- Mike Fong
- Karin Sable
- Rob Sheldon
- Stacie Badgett
- Kristof Varga
- Keane Summers
- Estella Toderean
- Scott Montgomery
- Kim Herman
- Craig Bachtell
- David Ramey
- Mike Russo
- Andrew Walls
- Lane Davis Coury
- Lindy Sexton
- Stefan Thomas
- David Filipps
- Jan Woldseth
- Kim Uchabori
- Jim Bowman
- Cathy Scott
- John Schroeder
- Steve Russell
- Terry Hobart
- Gary Guise
- Kim Blix
- Bax Ramspott
- Kathy Lauer
- Adam Morton
- Alan Fowler
- Gary Smith
- Tony Giacalone
- Josh Grogan
- Shelby Frank
- Gabriel Morton
- Janet Mann
- Ken Taylor
- Scott Beesley
- Brian Berg
- Georgene Goodstein
- Michael Daugherty
- Laurie Porter
- Bruce Coury
- Jason Ziegenhirt
- Sabrina Simms
- Gabe White