By Pat Kondas, American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Public Affairs
In 2017, Ray Klein was living in Nevada when the fires broke out in northern California. He had lived there for many years and had friends there. When he saw what was happening to the people, he drove to Santa Rosa and joined up with the Red Cross.
Having been a Park Ranger with law enforcement experience, Ray was put to work immediately in Life, Safety, and Asset Protection (LSAP). Ray says the job mostly consists of making sure everything is secure in a shelter, like making sure all the doors are locked and no one is stealing things. He says, “We go into shelters and make sure everything is being run correctly. If there’s a problem with a client, they call us first and see if we can calm them down. As a last resort we call the police.” But he says, “I’ve had very few problems with that.” Ray says, “Sometimes a catastrophe brings out the worst in people and sometimes it brings out the best in people.”
An important part of the job is checking credentials, for example, to make sure the forklift driver has the proper license or that a medical person is properly certified. ” He says,“We’re kind of a backup to the people that run the shelter.” Ray says, “I like what I’m doing.”
Ray and his family moved to Wyoming about four years ago. He had spent two seasons at Yosemite National Park as a park ranger and says, “I’m kind of a nature person. I like being around wildlife.” They now live in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains near Buffalo. “We have it all here,” he says. “Deer, wild turkeys, a badger, pheasant, pronghorns, moose, marmot. There’s more wildlife here around our house than I saw in Yosemite.”
Ray says he loves it here and is very active in his community. As the only Disaster Action Team (DAT) responder in Johnson County, he sometimes drives almost fifty miles to take care of clients in Sheridan or Kaycee. He’s handled calls virtually, but he says it’s important to respond in person. “A lot are older people and they don’t know how to get the funds on their phones. So I give them a client assistance card and give them comfort kits.” He says, “You can’t do the comfort kits over the phone.“
Ray also works with the Veterans’ Administration (VA) for Wyoming and Colorado to help manage funding. The Red Cross gives grants and funds to the VA hospital in Sheridan to help veterans get things the government can’t buy for them. They help them find housing and get them clothing if they need it.
Ray is also the Commander of the Montana-Wyoming Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. He is a Civil War re-enactor and travels to different events around the country. His interest stems from his great-great uncle, who was killed in the Civil War in Virginia. Ray has all the letters he wrote about his battles and hopes to visit his grave in Williamsburg.
Seeing that the American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton during the Civil War, it’s certain that “the angel of the battlefield” would be proud that Ray is carrying on the work of the Red Cross. Thank you, Ray, for your service with the Wyoming Red Cross.