Meet the People Who Show Up When Things Go Sideways
- Thomas Breckel
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
When something bad happens in Clinton County — a tornado, a house fire, a missing child, or a family suddenly without food — it’s not just fire trucks and police cruisers that show up.
Behind the scenes, there’s a whole network of nonprofit groups, volunteers, faith-based teams, search-and-rescue crews, animal responders, and public-health partners working alongside local government to help neighbors get through the worst days of their lives.
Most residents never see that network until they need it.
That’s why Clinton County EMA is hosting a Volunteer Open House on Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Clinton County Administrative Campus (1850 Davids Drive, Wilmington) — an open-house style event designed to introduce the community to the people and organizations that step in when disaster strikes.
Why This Matters
After every major disaster, we hear the same thing:
“I wish I had known how to help before this happened.”
In an emergency, it’s too late to figure out who does what. You can’t train volunteers in the middle of a tornado outbreak. You can’t build trust while a shelter is filling up. And you can’t improvise complex logistics while families are standing in line for food, medicine, or information.
The goal of the Volunteer Open House is simple:
Let residents meet the organizations that serve Clinton County during emergencies.
Give people a clear path to get involved before they are ever needed.
Prepared communities are built in advance — not during the crisis.
Who You’ll Meet
The Open House brings together a wide mix of organizations that play real roles in disaster response, recovery, and community support. Groups confirmed to attend include:
Tri-State Chapter of the American Red Cross – Shelter, feeding, family reunification, disaster recovery
American Regulators – Motorcycle-based emergency response and support
Blanchester Police Department – Public safety and emergency coordination
BOX-14 Responder Support Unit – Rehab, logistics, and responder care at incidents
Clinton County Amateur Radio (W8GO) – Backup communications when phones and internet fail
Clinton County Health District – Public health, disease control, environmental health
CODE3 (Search & Rescue) – Missing persons, technical rescue, and search operations
Clinton County EMA – Coordination, planning, and countywide disaster response
Empathy Surplus – Mental health and emotional support for people in crisis
Masters of Disaster – Youth and family preparedness education
Matthew 25 Ministries – Disaster relief supplies, cleanup, and rebuilding
Paws Humane Society – Animal sheltering and pet reunification
The Salvation Army – Feeding, sheltering, and disaster services
Ane more...
These organizations don’t compete — they complement each other. Some help people. Some help responders. Some help animals. Some move supplies. Some provide communications when everything else fails.
Together, they form the safety net.
This Isn’t a Job Fair — It’s a Community Fair
You don’t need experience.You don’t need special skills.You don’t need to wear a uniform.
If you’ve ever wondered:
“How could I help after a disaster?”
“Where would I fit?”
“What happens to pets, seniors, or people with disabilities?”
“Who feeds people when power is out?”
“How do missing persons searches work?”
This is where you find out.
You can walk table to table, ask questions, grab flyers, scan QR codes, and talk to real people who do this work. Some organizations need hands-on responders. Others need planners, drivers, cooks, office help, or people who just care.
There is a role for almost everyone.
Be Ready Before You’re Needed
Disasters don’t wait for perfect timing.
By building relationships now, Clinton County becomes faster, stronger, and more resilient when something goes wrong. And for residents, this is a chance to turn concern into action — to be part of something bigger than yourself.
No registration is required, but advance sign-ups help with planning. A snow date of January 29 is in place if weather forces a delay.
More details and updates are available at:https://www.cc-ema.org/events
We’ll see you there.