Angry At Myself.

[athelind]

I heard word on the radio that the local American Red Cross is conducting a boot camp for disaster relief volunteers for the New Orleans/Biloxi catastrophe.

I'm a Coast Guard veteran with years of search & rescue experience.

I worked in a hospital for several years after that.

I know GPS and GIS, I build 3-D models of submerged terrain, I've analyzed aerial and satellite photography...

They need me. I could help

And I can't shake this stupid cold.

Given my tendency to slide into pneumonia at the slighest provocation, I'd just be someone else they'd have to take care of.

So here I am, at my little temp job, typing up mailing labels.

Fuming.

I could help, dammit.

Comments

[richardf8]

Given my tendency to slide into pneumonia at the slighest provocation, I'd just be someone else they'd have to take care of.

The first priority of any rescuer is to avoid becoming the object of a rescue operation. Trust your instincts. Perhaps you could contact them to see if they can use any of your skills remotely?

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

There are more ways to help than being on-site and going through pneumonia-bait. I agreed with RichardF8 - see if you can offer your skills remotely - if nothing else, as a contact point between displaced families and their loved ones outside of the hurricane's swath.

[shavastak.livejournal.com]

Well, you could go offer your help anyway. Let them know you have a cold and are prone to pneumonia and ask them what you can do to help that won't make them have to take care of you. Tell them about all your nifty skills. They may have a perfect desk job for you.

Heck, you might end up working for them, for money. Nonprofits rock.

[rikoshi.livejournal.com]

All hail Commander Stormdancer of the Satellite Rescue Army!