by Deanie Lowe
For several years , Volusia County went through a wonderful period where it experienced very few disasters . Sure , it experienced a couple of tornadoes ; however , unless you were around for the fires of 1998 , you may have thought Volusia had its own , special “ Garden of Eden .”
During those “ blue sky ” years , many who grew up in the county knew the hurricanes would return , and a few started organizing a group called Community Organizations Active in Disaster ( COAD ). COAD ’ s aim is to support both businesses and residents before , during and after disasters strike . It is composed of citizens volunteering from both the public and private sectors , representing businesses , civic clubs , government agencies and faith-based groups . Being careful not to duplicate other efforts , this group ’ s goal is to fill gaps that inevitably come about when customary emergency agencies cannot fully meet the needs of the citizens , due to lack of a formal disaster declaration or shortage of available resources .
Their general membership meets in the odd-numbered months , in the Dennis McGee Room at Daytona Beach International Airport from 2:00-4:00 p . m . on the third Wednesday of the month . Programs are a series of presentations by local , state and national organizations , detailing the types of aid they can render for the residents and businesses of Volusia .
Due to demand , COAD focuses primarily on serving the
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