USF, Hillsborough County Team Up To Deal With Hurricane Irma

TAMPA, FL – USF senior Jay Rajyaguru, a public health and emergency management major, had taken many courses in his field of study, closely worked with professional first responders and participated in mock calamities. But there’s only so much you can learn from books and practice.

Rajyaguru had not helped the local community help with a real-life disaster – that is until Hurricane Irma tore through Hillsborough County.

“You learn about it in class, but you don’t know what it’s like until you’re actually in it,” he said

Rajyaguru was one of the more than 200 USF students, faculty members and alumni who volunteered in storm-related emergency management roles before, during and after Hurricane Irma passed through. According to Hillsborough County, the capable volunteers were needed because many American Red Cross workers were in Texas dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

USF’s Community Emergency Response Team coordinated the volunteer efforts, performing vital functions such as supporting professional emergency managers at the county’s Public Safety Operations Complex, supporting professional emergency managers, assessing needs after the storm, cleaning debris and distributing water and food.

Starting Wednesday, Sept. 6 – several days before Hurricane Irma arrived, the USF colleagues went wherever they were needed, supporting first responders and others around the clock. As the deputy director of the student-led CERT, Rajyaguru estimated he worked 130 hours helping mobilize campus volunteers, visiting shelters and handing out vital supplies.

With Hurricane Irma recovery efforts still ongoing, USF volunteers continue to play key roles.

The director of the campus’ CERT program, USF faculty member Elizabeth Dunn, said students with various areas of expertise mobilized for the effort, including first responders in training, medical students and College of Public Health students.

Dunn said many students helped evacuees with disabilities and also set up, managed and broke down evacuation shelters, and spent time with the evacuees at the shelters.

“It was pretty amazing, just to hear some of the stories,” Dunn said.

Hillsborough County said USF volunteers were essential to the effort, especially the USF CERT members, many of whom had more disaster training than most volunteers and many professionals.

“For Jay and other USF students, the mobilization has been invaluable,” Hillsborough County said in a press release. “Along with the satisfaction of helping county residents, they supplemented classroom and field studies and gained hands-on experience that might help them find jobs in their chosen fields.”

Captions: 1-Jay Rajyaguru, left, and Anthony Woodson work at the PSOC during Hurricane Irma. 2- USF's Community Emergency Response Team prepare to go out to conduct damage assessments;

Images via Hillsborough County website