As Florida residents for seventeen years, my family and I have somehow managed to miss a direct hit from any prior hurricanes. Hurricane Irma, however, was different. We lost power with the hurricane still hours away from us. On Sunday night, its route changed, with its eye scheduled to pass directly over Orlando. After hours of gruesome winds, there was an eerie silence.
With more than 12 million people without power in Florida, the City of Orlando was no exception to the hurricane's terrifying impact. As the city assessed the damage, I joined a group of Jamati members to report to the City of Orlando Emergency Information Center. While we attended a brief training outlining our roles, none of us fully anticipated the gravity of the role we would take part in at the Center.
When we reported for the beginning of our shift, we saw volunteers and staff, who had spent 24 hours at the Center, just departing. It was eye-opening to realize that while I was worried about the immediate safety of my family as the hurricane passed us, the City of Orlando had an entire center in place consisting of emergency personnel, staff, and volunteers, who had spent time away from their families during a natural disaster, for the safety of our city and community.
As we took our seats around the call center, from the moment we pressed the “Ready” button, the calls poured in. We could barely wrap-up a call, phone receiver still in hand, and the phone would ring again – another Orlando resident hoping to get some pertinent information in a time of crisis. By the time our shift ended around 9 p.m., our Jamati members had participated in responding to over 200 calls.
Calls we responded to ranged from simple queries regarding the city curfew, to others concerning road blockages, power outages, and some as serious as medical emergencies. The City had an efficient system in place, with detailed instructions on how each call should be directed to the right source.
The following day, an even larger group of volunteers from our Jamat reported to serve at the Emergency Center. One of our Jamati members personally made close to 100 calls to Orlando residents on behalf of the Fire Department to assure they were safe.
"I felt like I was making a difference for the city, being there in a time of need," said Karim Sherali, a college student in Orlando, who covered two shifts on Tuesday, and was present at the Call Center for close to 12 hours.
Having the opportunity to see this Center functioning to assure the safety of the rest of the city, was truly heartwarming. Not only was much of the City's staff present to volunteer at the center, but the Mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer, was present on scene, interacting with the staff and emergency personnel, as a true leader of the city. In those moments, there was no separation or hierarchy--the Mayor and his staff were simply leaders in service of their city, leading by example.
Mayor Dyer was on site both days that our volunteers were present, and expressed his gratitude for the work of the volunteers at the Center. The Mayor even wore an I-CERV T-shirt to match those worn by our volunteers!
Our volunteers left behind their own power outages, damaged homes, children at home from closed schools, and stepped up to volunteer because our city needed us. However, more significant than our contribution to our city, was the experience and gratitude that each one of us took away.
Zahra Huda Hussainali, one of our volunteers from Orlando said, "It feels great to provide useful information and hope in stressful situations. Sometimes people just need to know that they are not alone in their struggle, and help is on its way. What a great opportunity. I feel truly blessed to be able to serve in this capacity."
Most of us had been spared the challenges that our neighbors were facing. Like Zahra, we soon forgot that that we were volunteering at the Center. In those moments, we were simply citizens of our city, lucky enough for the opportunity to provide some comfort and support to others in need. For some of us, while the power in our homes would not return for another week, our hearts were full of light, as we took part in an experience that truly allowed us to be united with the rest of our city in the time of a crisis.
