CDP staffers assist Idalia survivors

Four employees from the Center for Domestic Preparedness deployed earlier this fall to assist FEMA relief missions in Florida, following Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on August 30.

DeAnna Mariscal, a human resources program specialist; Program Specialist Blake Stone; Lakendra Smith, a financial management technician; and Kasey Luallen, an accounting technician, deployed to state just before the storm.

All were part of FEMA Disaster Survival Assistance crews, speaking with survivors, business owners and religious leaders to ensure they were registered for FEMA assistance, though each deployed to a different part of the impacted area.

“I remember the looks on survivors’ faces when they realized someone cared,” said Mariscal, adding she often felt a bond with those she helped to register.

Mariscal, Stone and Luallen were deployed for a month, while Smith deployment lasted about six weeks.

“FEMA’s presence in Live Oak (Florida) was extremely important,” said Luallen. “We helped make sure the community members had the resources needed to recover.”

Stone helped operate a FEMA registration center in the city’s town hall during the early days after the storm passed, when cell service was still very spotty throughout the region.

“I’ve gotten to see the results of our work in disaster areas,” said Smith, as she shared the story of a survivor who she assisted with FEMA assistance registration. When Smith checked in on the homeowner a few weeks later, she learned the lady had been approved for FEMA assistance. On subsequent visits, Smith saw her begin to restore her home.

“We get to see the FEMA core values in action,” said Smith. “You never know when that could be us, so this has also helped me better prepare for if a disaster were to occur here.”

All four employees have deployed previously. Luallen has deployed 10 times, mostly to the southeast U.S., but also to California. Smith has deployed four times – twice for hurricanes, once for the Covid pandemic, and once to work with Customs and Border Patrol at the U.S. border in Texas. For Stone and Mariscal, it was their second deployment – both times to Florida.

“For me, it is important for employees to deploy. FEMA’s mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters, and deployments are a good way to contribute to all aspects of the agency’s mission,” said Stone.