If you live in Grainger, Hancock, or Claiborne County and become a Red Cross volunteer you will likely meet Bill Page. Bill is currently the DAT (Disaster Action Team) Captain for those counties and provides local orientation to new volunteers – giving them the lay of the land so to speak – for their volunteer service.
Bill has lots to share, as he has been a volunteer for the American Red Cross since 1972. At the time he was in the US Army and assigned recruiting duty in Charleston, West Virginia. He visited the Red Cross office in his role as the Army Recruiter and ended up as a life guard instructor. As often is the case with Red Cross volunteers – this role expanded and Bill was soon also a First Aid and CPR instructor. In 1976 Bill was assigned to Korea and his Red Cross volunteer service followed him there. His next assignment was in Kansas City where he became an Instructor Trainer.
When Bill retired from the military in 1980 he ended up in Michigan filling another of his roles – as a minister. But the Red Cross service continued and even provided Bill with a paid position as the Health Services Coordinator for a 3 person office. There he learned how to do many jobs for the Red Cross and was soon handling Service to Military messages and occasional disaster calls. His time in Benton Arbor Michigan gave him a deep understanding of the role of the Red Cross in a community.
From Michigan, Bill retired again and ended up in Hancock and then Claiborne County in Tennessee.
Bill settled on working with the Red Cross in disaster services and proudly works as DAT Captain for several counties. He also serves as the liaison with Emergency Management. If you travel to any of those counties be sure to look up Bill!
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