Unit 14C History
Chattahoochee Baptist Association Relief Communication Unit 14
This unit began as a vision in January, 1996, when it was determined that there was a need
for first responder communications unit for the northern part of the state. At the time only
two people in the Association had GBC Phase 1 training in communications. Contacts were
made with several Christian individuals about this opportunity. In February, seven people
took Phase I Communications training at the Georgia Baptist Assembly in Toccoa.
In March, four individuals participated in Unit Director training at Camp Kaleo.
In May, three more volunteers took Phase I training at the Georgia Baptist Assembly at
Norman Park, giving a total of 12 certified communicators in the Gainesville area.
All trained volunteers are Amateur Radio Operators (Hams) and are familiar with various
forms and modes of communications.
The Association sponsored an Amateur Radio class in February and March to train and
recruit Disaster Relief volunteers. Eight people from this class committed to participate in
Phase I Communications Training offered by the GBC.
We had been searching for a trailer to outfit for Communications since late Spring, 1996
but had not been able to locate one suitable for our needs. Several members of the team had
been praying that one would be found. On August 22, a fully outfitted trailer became available
to us at a price well below its value. It's total estimated worth was $14,000-$15,000. We were
able to obtain it for $7,500. We were able to raise $3,900 from donations from individuals
and the Blackshear Place Baptist Church. God provided the rest in a very unexpected and
unique way.
The unit was picked up on September 4. The team was put on a two hour alert on
September 5. On September 6, the unit and team were called into service and deployed to
Burgaw, North Carolina to support and provide logistical communications for two
Feeding Units and two Clean-up/Recovery Units (GBC) that had been activated due to the
devastation by Hurricane Fran. We feel that God answered our prayers by making the
trailer available to us. The timing of this event was phenomenal.
The team had not had the opportunity to have an organizational meeting prior to departure.
We assembled, prayed for guidance and departed in a convoy for North Carolina on the
afternoon of September 6. We were set up and operational within 30 minutes after arriving
on the Disaster Relief Site. We immediately established contact with a Feeding and
Clean-up/Recovery Unit that had been deployed to Warsaw, North Carolina, which was
44 miles north of our site. We also established radio contact with the American Red Cross,
the local Emergency Operations Center and the GBC Disaster Relief Director, allowing our
efforts to be totally coordinated for maximum efficiency.
After returning, we had our organizational meeting at the CBA Office on September 9,
with 39 people present. Of those, 17 were already certified and the remainder were
interested in volunteering with this unit. That evening 15 more people committed to go to
Phase I training that was made available in January, 1997.
Since our early days, unit 14C has been called into service all over our State and many
areas of our Nation providing critical communications with relief efforts form many
Hurricanes, Floods, Tornados and The World Trade Center Disaster.
From our humble beginnings of less than 20 volunteers back in 1996, our volunteer base
has increased to over 160 communications volunteers and counting. God is truly working
within this Ministry.
W4CBA Official call of Unit 14C
(First 3 photos are thumbnails: Click for larger view)
Charter Disaster Relief Communicators in North Georgia
Outside view of the Original Unit 14C
Outside
of Today's Unit14C
