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Team Rubicon asks Cowlitz County commissioners for a short presentation on local disaster-response integration
Summary
A Kelso resident representing Team Rubicon asked the board to place the volunteer organization on a future agenda so it can describe capabilities and discuss integrating volunteers into county emergency response; commissioners requested specifics and suggested Emergency Management may be the appropriate channel.
Jim Hill, a Kelso resident speaking on behalf of Team Rubicon, used the meeting's public-comment period to ask the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners to schedule a short presentation about the volunteer group's disaster-response capabilities and how it could integrate with county emergency response.
"Team Rubicon's mission is to respond to disasters, local, state, and national," Hill said, describing the organization as "a national organization of volunteers" that initially leveraged veterans' training and now includes professionals across fields. He asked for 15 minutes at a future meeting to explain how Team Rubicon can assist with chainsaw work, sandbagging, mucking out houses and other disaster recovery tasks.
Commissioners and other speakers thanked Hill but asked for specific information — local track record, names and contact points, and how local agencies would coordinate with volunteers. One commissioner suggested the county's Department of Emergency Management and existing emergency-response plans may be more appropriate avenues for integration and recommended Hill provide concrete contact details and documentation of local capacity and certification.
Hill said volunteers do not need to be veterans to serve and that Team Rubicon seeks an opportunity to introduce itself to county department heads and emergency-response coordinators. The board did not take any formal action; staff and commissioners indicated they would consider next steps and suggested Hill coordinate with emergency management staff for follow-up.
