HOUSTON – When Hurricane Harvey rolled in, neighborhoods and homes that had never flooded before were inundated with water. Countless people had to be rescued.
Scores of them were saved by volunteers with the Southwest Community Emergency Response Team.
“To save someone's life ... that's the most precious gift you can give somebody,” Ray Field said.
Field is the team leader. On Friday, the first day of hurricane season, Field and his team members were honored for their commitment and dedication to the community.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued each member an outstanding volunteer award.
“We helped everybody we immediately got to. We did it safely. We did it efficiently. Everybody was so appreciative of what we had done for them,” Field said.
More than a dozen of these first responder volunteers came together during Harvey, pooling their resources, and as a result saved some 800 lives. Just a group of everyday heroes, not looking for recognition … beyond deserving of it.
“You can call us heroes but I don't think we are heroes. I think we are those people who have thicker skin to realize there is no black, white, pink and yellow, it's just one, and when you need help we are here,” Field said.
