Jack Hunter has been a volunteer with the Tennessee River Chapter
since 2013. He came to the Red Cross interested in Disaster Services Technology
(DST) and over the past year has lead the way for DAT dispatch. He joined the
Red Cross when John Freed a fellow Amateur Radio member encouraged him to be a
part of DST.
Jack says, “John found me at the right place and the
right time as I was looking for something to do to give back to the community.”
Jack is originally from Texas, although he says he’s
lived everywhere except there. His military career in the Army took him around
the world to a new location every eighteen months. While in the Army, he worked
in both communications and counter intelligence until he retired after twenty
years of service. In addition to his military career, Jack has a background in
computers, radio, telephone, and technical support. After retiring, Jack went
on as a contractor with the State Department and then to work with the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
When asked about his experience with the American Red
Cross throughout his military career, Jack states “I was fortunate enough to
not need the services, but came across those that did, and the Red Cross did a
fantastic job at issuing emergency calls for those people.”
Here at the Tennessee River Chapter, we have been so
grateful for Jack’s expertise in DST! When our chapter was introduced to the
DAT dispatch program, Jack didn’t hesitate when asked to lead the way. For over
a year, Jack’s work provided vital feedback in progression of the dispatch
system.
Jack has been deployed one time for the Texas floods.
On his deployment he was tasked with network support and maintaining the ERV
radios. Jack says the scope of the disaster was truly an eye opener as it
covered such a large area. He was on a team with 22 other DST volunteers at a
one of three disaster operation centers comprised of 200 people.
Unfortunately for our chapter, Jack will be moving to
Pennsylvania to live with his daughter in the near future. Luckily for the
American Red Cross, Jack says he plans to continue volunteering with the local
chapter in Pennsylvania because it’s a way to support something he believes in
and that he feels he has a service he can provide to the American Red Cross.
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