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Public Employee Press
William Betz:
When duty calls
By JANE LaTOUR
ON THE JOB, William Betz is an Enterprise Technology Architect at the
New York City Housing Authority. A member of Electronic Data Processing
Personnel Local 2627, he provides the computer expertise to make the multiple
systems used by agency Architects work together smoothly.
Off the job, Betz is dedicated to emergency rescue operations. At 15,
he joined the U.S. Air Forces Civil Air Patrol, where he is now
a captain. As a member of a Community Emergency Response Team sponsored
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he constantly updates his
search and rescue skills. When he took a course on water rescues in June,
he didnt know how soon he would be called on to go into action.
During a late August camping trip with his wife Laura and their two sons,
Andy, 7 and Luke, 9, Betz received an emergency appeal from Louisiana
Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Rather than have him use his own time, NYCHA designated
him as its representative for the rescue operation.
By Sept. 3, his CERT was racing south
by convoy, picking up supplies and 50 Zodiac boats in Maryland. They were
assigned to the Armys 82nd Airborne Division. Our two missions
were search and rescue and recovery, he explained. We were
there from Sept. 5 through Sept. 9. Folks were still stuck in houses
the elderly, people who needed medicine, people who were sick. They were
glad to see us, he said. It was desolate. There were bodies
floating.
A search and rescue operation starts with reconnaissance experts, who
decide where the boats are needed and can operate safely, and grid co-ordinators,
who map out the mission, he explained. Everyone is part of a bigger
team effort, Betz said. Everyone does their part.
Looking back, he is proud of the contribution his team made
in the devastated area. I feel honored to work with people who do
this day in and day out, like Paramedic
Joe Hudak, the really heavy-duty specialists, he said. Its
hard to walk away when you see so much need. I wish I could have stayed
there longer.
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