by Deanie Lowe
For several years, Volusia County went through a wonderful period where it experienced very few disasters. Sure, it experienced a couple of tornadoes; however, unless you were around for the fires of 1998, you may have thought Volusia had its own, special“ Garden of Eden.”
During those“ blue sky” years, many who grew up in the county knew the hurricanes would return, and a few started organizing a group called Community Organizations Active in Disaster( COAD). COAD’ s aim is to support both businesses and residents before, during and after disasters strike. It is composed of citizens volunteering from both the public and private sectors, representing businesses, civic clubs, government agencies and faith-based groups. Being careful not to duplicate other efforts, this group’ s goal is to fill gaps that inevitably come about when customary emergency agencies cannot fully meet the needs of the citizens, due to lack of a formal disaster declaration or shortage of available resources.
Their general membership meets in the odd-numbered months, in the Dennis McGee Room at Daytona Beach International Airport from 2:00-4:00 p. m. on the third Wednesday of the month. Programs are a series of presentations by local, state and national organizations, detailing the types of aid they can render for the residents and businesses of Volusia.
Due to demand, COAD focuses primarily on serving the
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