Photograph by Genevieve Roja

On the Lookout: Deak van Arsdale says workers with FEMA must be on the alert for national disasters.

Public Citizen

Disaster Management

A part-time counselor with the Federal Emergency Management Agency has seen his share of chaos

By Genevieve Roja

During five years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cadre, Deak van Arsdale has counseled scores of those affected by natural disasters and human tragedy, dealing specifically with those who work one-on-one with the victims.

That can mean that van Arsdale, who until recently operated the Little Bistro sandwich shop on East Campbell Avenue, might have to wake up in the middle of the night, be on a plane with a few things, and head right into the eye of the storm, to places like Mississippi, Minnesota, or Oklahoma. Like the reserve soldier poised for the call of duty, van Arsdale can't always be certain what lies ahead.

Van Arsdale remembers horrors vividly. During floods in Mississippi, graveyards were inundated, and many families who had buried their dead years ago were forced to do it again.

"Everyone there had to identify remains or something about the remains," says van Arsdale, who says he studied psychiatry, and a holds bachelor's degree in exegetical theology from Bethany College in Santa Cruz. "Most of the people [in the disaster] wanted to sit down and talk with the people taking their name. [The FEMA worker] becomes a bartender, almost."

There's a great deal of stress among FEMA employees, who deal with anywhere from 15 to 30 victims a day.

"After a while, it becomes heartbreaking, because you can only do what you do," he says. FEMA workers can sometimes be relegated to filling out forms and taking names. "You want to rush out and help them get a new house. But you can't do those things--that's the frustration."

When FEMA employees need to recover from taking care of someone else's emotional plight, people within the agency, like Van Arsdale, support them. He's had the experience to help his colleagues, having spent time working with the Mount Zion Crisis Unit and the San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Unit.

When van Arsdale arrived in Oklahoma City to help those working at the Murrah Federal Building after the bombing there, chaos was everywhere.

"You just had this war zone, this intensity," recalls van Arsdale. "The loss people face, the shock of the event ... see, when a tornado comes through, they don't stand outside and yell at God."

The tragedy in Oklahoma City was particularly difficult, he says, because there was no advance warning. Perhaps that is why the 150 or so men and women in van Arsdale's company always keep a keen eye for weather patterns and current events, such as the shooting in Littleton, Colo., and the more recent Oklahoma tornadoes.

Despite the emotional perils of the job, the San Jose native likes the job.

"The best part is having someone thank you for helping them when you didn't know you did. That's very satisfying."

---

Know somebody who deserves to be in the paper? Nominate a Public Citizen. Send the name of a noteworthy neighbor to: Editor, Campbell Reporter, 116 E. Campbell Ave., Ste. 6, Campbell, CA 95802, or ejohnson@svcn.com

---

Giuseppe Salciccia opens new bistro

Del Mar student and champion skater Amie Alnutt

Careful what you wish for when raising children

Police Blotter

Sports Briefs

Westmont defeats Del Mar in baseball