Trained to respond to suffering and need, a number of Lakes Region fire and rescue workers, sheriff’s deputies, and animal rescue workers are on their way to aid the suffering and supply the needy down in hurricane-ravaged areas of the south.

Three volunteer firefighters from Sebago are headed south with the Red Cross as volunteers in the organization’s Disaster Services Human Resources system.

Allen Crabtree, David Littlefield and Jason Schoolcraft have gone through many hours of Red Cross training over several days this past week.

The three will be doing casework based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana for three weeks starting this weekend. The group will interview clients and get them medical attention and whatever services they need. They leave from Sebago at 6 a.m. on Friday.

According to Crabtree, the American Red Cross, was looking for trained people to help out with the relief effort.

“The Red Cross didn’t want you if you had a cast, stitches, or a recent operation,” Crabtree said. “You needed to have a driver’s license and be at least 18.”

Crabtree says they will relieve those who are exhausted from weeks of volunteering.

Windham’s Fire Chief Charlie Hammond said they have people in the department who are interested in going but “everything has been put on hold.”

Hammond said the process of assisting and rebuilding would be spread over months and years and Windham volunteers may be involved at a later date.

“We’re more interested in the long haul,” he said. “It’s a long-term project.”

And Standish Fire Chief Martin Jordan said he’s received reports of over 200 volunteers arriving in Louisiana and Mississippi daily with no organizational affiliation. They are being turned away because there is no place to put them up and they haven’t been trained.

“The message is, wait,” Jordan said.

Four of Jordan’s staff came forward, offering to go. But for now, they are staying put.

On Wednesday morning, three members of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office left for Franklinton, Washington Parish, Louisiana to help establish order.

Deputies James Ambrose, David Dunnemann and Lakes Region D.A.R.E. officer and Raymond Basketball Camp organizer Joe Schnupp took County vehicles filled with personal hygiene kits and bottled water and began their 25-hour road trip to join up with Chief Deputy Kevin Joyce, already in the region.

Joyce had traveled down earlier to set up a control center. He learned of the need through his connections with the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

“We hope this is only the beginning of a long relationship with our friends in the south,” said Peter Crichton, Cumberland County Manager, “and after this initial assistance, we will be able to send others to help with the renewal and rebuilding efforts.”

Animal rescue work

Also making the trip south to aid the needy of a different sort are several animal rescue workers from the Lakes Region area.

Dick McGoldrick, of Naples, animal control officer for Baldwin, Bridgton, Denmark, Lovell, Naples, Sweden, Sebago and Stowe and constable in some of those towns as well, is leaving for New Orleans Friday night on a 10-day rescue mission to aid some of the area’s most helpless creatures – the animals left behind.

Though he doesn’t know what his exact duties will entail, McGoldrick said, “Our main effort will be to go out and rescue animals.”

McGoldrick, who is also president of the Harvest Hills Animal Shelter in Fryeburg, is traveling with Fryeburg veterinarian Monique Kramer, who will be heading up the group of about four volunteers.

Lynn Fracassi, also of Naples, is a pet sitter and groomer as well as a former animal control officer who will be going south on a separate mission that is also organized by Kramer.

Fracassi is going to Kentucky and Georgia along with Nancy Gagne of Casco for a 52-hour whirlwind trip to bring back as many animals from the area’s shelters as possible.

These shelters are sending their animals up north so they will be able to keep those that are victims of the hurricane closer to the owners who may be searching for them.

“I’m really sensitive to the point that I do cry but not while it’s happening,” Fracassi said. “I have to stay tough and when it’s over, I can go home and bawl.”

The veterinarian in charge of the operation, Dr. Kramer, who lives in Stowe, started calling different organizations down south until she made a connection. She has been told there are groups from New Orleans that have no support at all.

She and the others with her will be working in the triage at a YMCA shelter in New Orleans, coordinated with the National Guard and the American Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty.

“These animals have gone 14 days without food and water,” Kramer said. “Some are being found in houses with their dead owners.”

The group will use catchpoles and traps to capture the animals, some of which are too scared to allow anyone to touch them. They’ll be doing medical work on many of the animals as well.

“It’s going to be really hard,” Kramer said. “I’ve been stressing out and not sleeping because I haven’t been able to get down there to help.”