Unlikely Partners --
Students, Firefighters, Inmates
April 4, 2009
Jamestown, North Dakota


Don Redmann, Warden James River Correction Center --

The inmates are working hard. They are tired but so far everything has been going pretty smooth. The first day we put out about twelve thousand bags.

When I heard the city was looking for assistance in filling sand bags to protect the city, I contacted the city and told them I had people up here that I am sure would be willing and able to help.

The inmates are really proud. This gives them a sense of accomplishment. Some of the inmates are from this area but most are not. They read the newspapers and hear the news about the threat to the city and they felt that they can contribute in that regard. They have just really been great.

Jim Forsythe, Firefighter, US Fish & Wildlife Service --

We are wild land firefighters for the Fish and Wild life Service.

It can be tough, but fire fighters are kind of used to it. 

It is becoming more and more that we do these things, with the hurricanes in Louisiana where people go, all risk assignments with the shuttle crash in Texas in 03 or whatever it was. Those are they type of things we respond to.   They don't come along every year but its becoming less and less unusual.

Cali Adams, Jamestown College Junior nursing student --

There's a big involvement from the community and Jamestown college is doing a lot of organizing for sand bagging efforts here...

This is my first day, it isn't too bad for me, and I have only been here a few hours. I am glad I could help.
 
Tom Hager, Jamestown College baseball coach --

Obviously we have man power with all the students who are on campus so our athletic department so our athletic department we thought it would be wise to take a few days off practice and take some different shifts and come in and help out the community. So it has been a good day today.

On this campus we have a lot of student athletes from different places; I think they feel like it is there duty to help out the community no matter where they are from.

Baseball, track and field, football; just about all of our athletic teams are participating in this.

For more information, visit www.fema.gov