James A. Calamari, a former Garden City resident now residing in Naples, Florida, recently assisted Florida residents devastated by Hurricane Charlie. His proud father Joseph faxed The Garden City News a letter from Matthew R. Lopez, Florida operational chief DRC coordinator and Ted Keith, Florida recovery director.

To Whom It May Concern:

James Calamari is an exceptional citizen who upholds the very specific morals and values that the United States was built on. Most everyone who has the pleasure to make his acquaintance is privy to his academic and intellectual acumen, his ambitious nature, his tenacity and his outstanding foresight in managerial positions. Most people however will never truly understand the impact this one soul had on a 14-mile-long island named Pine Island. This small island located west of Lee County came in direct contact with Hurricane Charlie’s wrath, providing its ill-informed inhabitants with over 145-mile-an-hour sustained winds, damaging rain and bewildering damages.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management called upon James because of his vast knowledge in the Emergency management sector. Activated as a disaster reservist only two days after the hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, James was summoned and thoughtlessly and willingly left his everyday life to help others in need. James was immediately put into a critical role and acted without hesitation to become a State Disaster Recovery Center manager. Working in conjunction with FEMA, this core of managers address mission critical and other various specific needs at their individually assigned centers. Such needs range from logistical concerns and deadlines, mitigation, DRC operations, prevalent health care management, safety and security, and management of multiple volunteer agencies. These managers work feverishly through 12-13 hour days seven days a week. James rose above the high standard that DRC managers are held to and accomplished an almost unfathomable task single-handedly.

After Hurricane Charlie passed over this agriculturally dependent area, it decimated the mangroves, uprooted trees and successfully destroyed every farm and plantation on the island. The hurricane also leveled the majority of people’s homes and businesses, halted electrical power and brought life to a halt for all island inhabitants. Now left fiscally unstable, emotionally distressed and exposed to nature’s elements with nothing more than tarpaulin standing as a barrier, its inhabitants morale was low and life was seemingly hopeless.

James quickly assisted the population with a Disaster Recovery Center that was functional and operational five days later. This housed refugees, acted as a hospital for the walking wounded, provided small business representatives. Although the DRC was helping the community, language barriers and hesitant migrant farmers had no place to turn to for help. James identified this need and astutely founded, planned and put into action the first ever Mobile Migrant/Diversity DRC which specifically target the unmet needs of the migrant population. This Migrant Diversity DRC has since found shelter for over 45 people, fed over 762 people three meals daily, identified and pre-qualified citizens who may not have known they are eligible for reimbursement for damages, provided hope and most importantly saved the lives of many.

To date James has helped found Mobile and Diversity 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000, which are forecasted to assist well over 3,500 people in the next two weeks. James is the sole reason why these DRCs exist and his tireless dedication has now helped Florida implement a standard operating procedure that will incorporate diversity mobile DRCs into affected areas in the future. I am very fortunate to have such a valuable asset as a part of my staff. James is truly a role model and icon to his fellow employees and is revered by the citizens of Pine Island with tremendous accolades and heartfelt love and gratefulness. To reiterate, James is truly an example to present-day society that one single person can still make a difference.

Matthew R. Lopez

State of Florida Operations Chief DRC Coordinator

Ted Keith

State of Florida Recovery Director