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    Corps of Engineers Huntington District employee helps with Joplin, Mo., tornado recovery

    Ohio native helps Corps of Engineers with Joplin tornado recovery

    Photo By Thomas Black | Jason Ritter, left, emergency operations officer with the Army Corps of Engineers'...... read more read more

    JOPLIN, MO, UNITED STATES

    07.22.2011

    Story by Thomas Black 

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District

    JOPLIN, Mo. - Jason Ritter, emergency operations officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Huntington District, is deployed to Joplin, Mo., to help with the federal government’s response to the devastating EF5 tornado that struck the city May 22.

    At his regular job back in West Virginia, Ritter plans his district’s response to various emergencies that threaten life and property.

    “As part of a team, I try to find ways to make our response to various threats more efficient – to save lives, property and money,” said Ritter, a native of Findlay, Ohio.

    Working with the Joplin Recovery Field Office, Ritter serves as a subject matter expert for the temporary modular housing that will provide shelter for families displaced by the tornado.

    The Corps established the Joplin RFO as part of the National Response Framework to support the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. That support includes providing debris removal, temporary housing, and critical facilities.

    Asked what he loves about his job, Ritter doesn’t hesitate: “The people. The people I work with are the greatest. I also get to help people from all over the country.”

    Ritter is an old hand at emergency deployment, including serving in Texas after Hurricane Ike in September 2008; in West Virginia following flooding in the spring and summer of 2009; and twice earlier this year: in Ohio following a February ice storm; and at the Kentucky State Emergency Operations Center in a May response to flooding.

    Ritter first came to Joplin May 26, stayed until June 23, and returned July 15 for a two-week assignment. His first impression when he saw the devastation was that it was sobering and heartbreaking, but soon he was overwhelmed with the way Joplin residents welcomed Corps of Engineers volunteers.

    “The people of Joplin were so nice to us when we arrived shortly after the tornado hit,” Ritter said. “I could probably write a small book about all of the kindness I was shown by them.”

    The toughest part of deployment, says Ritter, is not the long hours, but being away from his wife and sons, ages 8 and 6.

    “It is hard to leave my family for extended periods of time,” Ritter said. “They understand why I do it, but it is still hard.”

    In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, watching his sons play sports, and following Ohio State football and basketball. He also has a hobby of collecting and restoring classic Ford Mustangs.

    Ritter’s greatest wish for the future: that his family stays healthy, and his sons complete college.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.22.2011
    Date Posted: 07.22.2011 20:44
    Story ID: 74176
    Location: JOPLIN, MO, US

    Web Views: 280
    Downloads: 3

    PUBLIC DOMAIN