Excellent work by Rapid Relief Team

They made their first appearance around the time of the Christmas floods of December 2013.

Wearing neon yellow coloured waistcoats, this group of people, ranging in age from less than 10 years old to grandmas and grandpas well into their seventies, seemed to come out of nowhere.{{more}}

Equipped with brooms, shovels, mops, waterboots and power tools, they descended unannounced upon the ET Joshua airport and the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and, without fanfare, helped overwhelmed public servants to shovel, hose and mop the mud away from those two key public facilities. They then left as quietly as they had come, moving their service to areas outside of Kingstown — cleaning public areas and distributing water and other essentials to people in need.

Since then, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), a group of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, has been turning up at emergency situations across the nation. They assist with clean-up operations and also by bringing relief to first responders and victims. Most recently, the team of approximately 35 people lent their assistance at the two fires which broke out in Kingstown on two consecutive Sundays.

These volunteers must be commended not only for the assistance they provide, but for the manner in which their missions are executed. True to their name, they arrive early at disaster scenes and stay until their services are no longer needed. It is quite amazing to observe how quickly they mobilize and organize their members, equipment and refreshments.

Last Sunday, as our firefighters fought for hours to keep the blaze under control, the RRT was at their side, making sure they remained hydrated and nourished.

The nation’s thanks go out to the RRT. May their service inspire others to seek areas where there may be a void and do what may be within their means to fill it.