San Diego Fires
Ronnie Graves
Description
Collection
Title:
San Diego Fires
Creator:
Ronnie Graves
Date:
11/2/2007
Text:
Just wanted to let everyone know of our continued efforts of helping animals
and people with animals in disasters. Our team, Sumter Disaster Animal
Response Team, Inc., was called upon by the Humane Society of the United
States to respond to the California fires. On Tuesday the 23rd of October,
the command post that is stationed in Florida was needed in San Diego.
Ronnie Graves and Chris Root were in motion in 4 ½ hours and on their way.
It took 42 total hours for us to make it to San Diego. 37 of those hours
were driving time with about 4 hours of sleep in Tucson. We arrived at 6 am
on Thursday. Chris had to fly home that morning and Ronnie stayed. The
command post was set up and the San Diego Animal Control had a new command
post at the Lakeside Rodeo arena. There were about 400 horses already there.
Ronnie was involved on Friday and Saturday in responding to the Jamul and
Dulzura areas to bring aid to the animals affected by the fires. Working
conditions were hot and dry with very rocky and hilly terrains to cover. We
delivered hay, food and water, plus medical care to well over 500 animals in
just two days. We were also involved in finding a cock fighting operation
that animal control took evidence from after we discovered it. We found
citizens who were taking care of neighbors animals that had evacuated
without their animals. Many structures were lost and animals lives were lost
too. On Saturday late afternoon, animal control advised us that the areas
would be open to folks to return and they did not require us to stay so we
hooked up the command post and returned home to Florida. I took 3 full days
to get home and still feel like I could sleep for a week.
This is the second time I have gone in to rescue animals in fires. In 1998,
Florida was burning and my wife Linda and I spent a lot of time rescuing
animals. Our love of animals makes it impossible to say no. For those of you
who are not aware of what we do, please go to www.sumterdart.org and check
out our website. We are finally a 501(c)3 not for profit team. You can now
send a donation to our team and get a tax break for doing so. So you have an
idea of how much this costs, in the one week I was in action, we spent over
$3000.00 in fuel and food. That doesn’t include our lodging once we got
there or the plane trip for Chris. Sometimes we get reimbursed but most
times we do not. In Katrina, local agencies gave us fuel in the disaster
areas, in San Diego, the fuel company charged us $4.00 per gallon if we got
it from their truck in the fire area. I only did that once. I put on 121
gallons and then the guy told me how expensive it was. That won’t happen
again.
No matter what the conditions or costs are, we will continue to help until
all funds run out. Then we’ll probably still keep trying. Animals can’t help
themselves when they get left behind or their human companions are not
allowed to go back and get them. That’s why we try to help them.
Thanks to all who have helped in the past and to those who will help in the
future.
Ronnie
Ronnie N. Graves BOCPO, CO, LPO, RTP
Prosthetics Research Specialists, Inc.
720 East Southland Ave
Bushnell, Fl 33513
352-793-4477 Work
352-603-4249 Cell
352-793-1448 Fax
<Email Address Redacted>
and people with animals in disasters. Our team, Sumter Disaster Animal
Response Team, Inc., was called upon by the Humane Society of the United
States to respond to the California fires. On Tuesday the 23rd of October,
the command post that is stationed in Florida was needed in San Diego.
Ronnie Graves and Chris Root were in motion in 4 ½ hours and on their way.
It took 42 total hours for us to make it to San Diego. 37 of those hours
were driving time with about 4 hours of sleep in Tucson. We arrived at 6 am
on Thursday. Chris had to fly home that morning and Ronnie stayed. The
command post was set up and the San Diego Animal Control had a new command
post at the Lakeside Rodeo arena. There were about 400 horses already there.
Ronnie was involved on Friday and Saturday in responding to the Jamul and
Dulzura areas to bring aid to the animals affected by the fires. Working
conditions were hot and dry with very rocky and hilly terrains to cover. We
delivered hay, food and water, plus medical care to well over 500 animals in
just two days. We were also involved in finding a cock fighting operation
that animal control took evidence from after we discovered it. We found
citizens who were taking care of neighbors animals that had evacuated
without their animals. Many structures were lost and animals lives were lost
too. On Saturday late afternoon, animal control advised us that the areas
would be open to folks to return and they did not require us to stay so we
hooked up the command post and returned home to Florida. I took 3 full days
to get home and still feel like I could sleep for a week.
This is the second time I have gone in to rescue animals in fires. In 1998,
Florida was burning and my wife Linda and I spent a lot of time rescuing
animals. Our love of animals makes it impossible to say no. For those of you
who are not aware of what we do, please go to www.sumterdart.org and check
out our website. We are finally a 501(c)3 not for profit team. You can now
send a donation to our team and get a tax break for doing so. So you have an
idea of how much this costs, in the one week I was in action, we spent over
$3000.00 in fuel and food. That doesn’t include our lodging once we got
there or the plane trip for Chris. Sometimes we get reimbursed but most
times we do not. In Katrina, local agencies gave us fuel in the disaster
areas, in San Diego, the fuel company charged us $4.00 per gallon if we got
it from their truck in the fire area. I only did that once. I put on 121
gallons and then the guy told me how expensive it was. That won’t happen
again.
No matter what the conditions or costs are, we will continue to help until
all funds run out. Then we’ll probably still keep trying. Animals can’t help
themselves when they get left behind or their human companions are not
allowed to go back and get them. That’s why we try to help them.
Thanks to all who have helped in the past and to those who will help in the
future.
Ronnie
Ronnie N. Graves BOCPO, CO, LPO, RTP
Prosthetics Research Specialists, Inc.
720 East Southland Ave
Bushnell, Fl 33513
352-793-4477 Work
352-603-4249 Cell
352-793-1448 Fax
<Email Address Redacted>
Citation
Ronnie Graves, “San Diego Fires,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/228762.
