Marshalling Disaster Efforts

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Shortly after a tornado tore an 80-mile path through Arkansas that left at least 15 people dead last week, Team Rubicon swung into action.

An El Segundo disaster relief organization co-founded and led by military veterans, Team Rubicon deploys volunteers in the aftermath of natural and other disasters to assist with search and rescue, medical triage and surgical support.

Jake Wood, its co-founder and chief executive, said the organization calls members of its network of 16,000 veterans to action based mostly on geography. For example, veterans within 300 miles of where the tornado touched down in Arkansas were enlisted to help.

“When a disaster like that happens, veterans may be activated, but they’re not required to respond,” he said. “We typically see about 30 percent of people we try to activate participate in any given mission.”

Wood, a former Marine Corps sniper, co-founded the relief organization with fellow Marine William McNulty in 2010, just months after returning from a second tour of duty in the Middle East. The impetus? A catastrophic magnitude 7 earthquake had just leveled most of Haiti.

Since its founding, Team Rubicon has provided relief work at 53 disaster scenes, including tornadoes in Oklahoma, Texas and Illinois; floods in Colorado and New Mexico; and ice storms in Pennsylvania and Georgia. The non-profit raised $5.2 million last year and expects to raise as much as $6.5 million this year. The money helps support the group’s 26 full-time employees. (The field volunteers are not paid but can be reimbursed for some expenses; regional managers can get a stipend.)

Team Rubicon is expanding geographically. Wood said he’s looking to open offices in Dallas and Washington, D.C., this year.

– Bethany Firnhaber

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