How it all began...
On the evening of October 8th 2017, Michelle Patino & Mica Pangborn returned home from an overnight trip to San Jose where they watched their beloved San Jose Sharks hockey team. Upon arriving back to Petaluma, both exhausted Mica started laundry while Michelle rested for her shift scheduled early the next morning at Kaiser ED. As the evening progressed, Michelle fell asleep on the couch while Mica finished up some chores where she heard while listening to the news that a bad fire had started in Napa County. As the night progressed, the fire intensified - Mica started pacing the house wanting to alert Michelle however she knew that Michelle was exhausted and that she needed her sleep for work the next morning. Mica's concern grew however as she watched the fire move closer to Sonoma County. As the night went on the fire's intensity and speed progressed unbelievably fast. By morning Kaiser Santa Rosa had been evacuated and Michelle was called off and put on standby.
At that time they decided to go to the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds, located a block from their home. They had read on the Nextdoor App that the fairgrounds had opened as an evacuation center and that they were in need of blankets and pillows. Michelle & Mica gathered as many pillows and blankets that they could find and immeidately headed to the fairgrounds; only to realize how frightening the situation really was upon their arrival. They noticed that there were several elderly residents that had just arrived on a bus from a Santa Rosa assisted living home and that there was only one retired nurse with her daughter trying to help everyone with the help of one broken glucometer. Noticing Michelle's ED RN Badge, the retired nurse asked Michelle, "Can you PLEASE help?" The situation was dire - the community members that were evacuated to the fairgrounds arrived with only the clothes on their back, some without their necessary medications including those who suffered from dementia. They were scared and confused and others in complete disbelieve as to what was happening. It was at that moment Michelle realized that she had to help even though at this point she had not left the site or slept for over 60 hours. Within the next 3-1/2 weeks more than 800 people came through that evacuation center. Michelle reached out to several fellow medical colleagues who stepped up and volunteered their time as well. She had established a well oiled machine that helped hundreds of people in their most desperate time - she had developed a system that worked. Then, on October 23, 2019 the Kincaid Fire erupted and it all began again, only this time Michelle was more prepared; she had a plan, or so she thought. Michelle and Mica arrived at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds to help. Michelle reached out to her amazing team of medical and supportive staff of volunteers that she knew she could count on. But when she and Mica arrived at the gate they were turned away; they were told that "they had it all under control and did not need any help". Confused, Michelle and Mica decided to go across the street and have breakfast with another volunteer who showed up to help. After breakfast they stopped by the fairgrounds one more time, only to be told the same thing, so they headed home. Later that evening Michelle received a call from a medical doctor who was at the evacuation center asking "Why in the world are you not here? This place is a disaster and needs you!" With that, she headed out the door and within a very small amount of time had the medical operation of the evacuation center organized and running like a well oiled machine, once again.Once the smoke settled, Michelle realized the need for an acute response of medical assistance during disasters in their community and became more involved in community meetings. Both Michelle and Mica decided in November of 2019 that it was time to make a positive change in our community and offered their services during disasters at any and every level. And so, here we are... ~Michelle Patino & Mica Pangborn, DEMA Consulting & Management
At that time they decided to go to the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds, located a block from their home. They had read on the Nextdoor App that the fairgrounds had opened as an evacuation center and that they were in need of blankets and pillows. Michelle & Mica gathered as many pillows and blankets that they could find and immeidately headed to the fairgrounds; only to realize how frightening the situation really was upon their arrival. They noticed that there were several elderly residents that had just arrived on a bus from a Santa Rosa assisted living home and that there was only one retired nurse with her daughter trying to help everyone with the help of one broken glucometer. Noticing Michelle's ED RN Badge, the retired nurse asked Michelle, "Can you PLEASE help?" The situation was dire - the community members that were evacuated to the fairgrounds arrived with only the clothes on their back, some without their necessary medications including those who suffered from dementia. They were scared and confused and others in complete disbelieve as to what was happening. It was at that moment Michelle realized that she had to help even though at this point she had not left the site or slept for over 60 hours. Within the next 3-1/2 weeks more than 800 people came through that evacuation center. Michelle reached out to several fellow medical colleagues who stepped up and volunteered their time as well. She had established a well oiled machine that helped hundreds of people in their most desperate time - she had developed a system that worked. Then, on October 23, 2019 the Kincaid Fire erupted and it all began again, only this time Michelle was more prepared; she had a plan, or so she thought. Michelle and Mica arrived at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds to help. Michelle reached out to her amazing team of medical and supportive staff of volunteers that she knew she could count on. But when she and Mica arrived at the gate they were turned away; they were told that "they had it all under control and did not need any help". Confused, Michelle and Mica decided to go across the street and have breakfast with another volunteer who showed up to help. After breakfast they stopped by the fairgrounds one more time, only to be told the same thing, so they headed home. Later that evening Michelle received a call from a medical doctor who was at the evacuation center asking "Why in the world are you not here? This place is a disaster and needs you!" With that, she headed out the door and within a very small amount of time had the medical operation of the evacuation center organized and running like a well oiled machine, once again.Once the smoke settled, Michelle realized the need for an acute response of medical assistance during disasters in their community and became more involved in community meetings. Both Michelle and Mica decided in November of 2019 that it was time to make a positive change in our community and offered their services during disasters at any and every level. And so, here we are... ~Michelle Patino & Mica Pangborn, DEMA Consulting & Management