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What I've Learnt - Dr. Alison Thompson OAM (2025) · WHAT I'VE LEARNT

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Well, an extraordinary Australian at the front lines of the LA fire disaster at Third Wave Volunteers, Dr.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Alison Thompson, is a global humanitarian whose work has earned her recognition across the globe, including the US Presidential Medal of Honor.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Joining me on the What I've Learned podcast from the Front Lines in LA, she has the latest updates on what is needed and how we can all best assist the recovery efforts.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Third Wave Volunteers are now in full deployment with our volunteer firefighters in Los Angeles battling the fires and our local volunteers doing what they can to assist, she says.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: This will all unfold over the following months, so stay with us.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Third Wave Volunteers have been disaster responders for the past 24 years and were founded at the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York by Dr.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Allison Thompson.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Since then, they've grown to over 30,000 first responder volunteers running large refugee camps, field hospitals, and natural disasters worldwide for the past 24 years, including the Syrian, Afghan, Venezuelan, and Ukraine refugee crises.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: In the past four months in North Carolina, they have been helping with that disaster, with long-term ongoing work.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm thrilled to have the wonderful Dr.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Allison Thompson back on the What I've Learned podcast.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: She's here to join me and talk about the LA wildfires.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: She is on the ground at the front lines with her team.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Dr.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Allison.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: How are you?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get on.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: We've just been so busy in this disaster.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's so big.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: But thank you and hello.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, actually, you're a fellow Aussie, and it's just extraordinary that you're over there and what you're doing.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: As usual, you're at the absolute front lines.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Fearless in your determination to support those in need.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us a little bit about, um, and I know you you were just mentioning you've just been at another disaster in Carolina.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: So you've you've come from one major disaster to another.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us just very briefly about that one, and then let's focus on the LA fires.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just briefly, we've come from Hurricane Helen for the last four months in the North Carolina.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: It actually crossed seven states and said our largest US natural disaster, 200,000 homes gone and 30 to 70 foot swells going down tiny creeks from mountains to homes to towns.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: So that's pretty intense.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's still people in tents in minus seven degrees snow weather.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: And then um just January is the time when we kind of regroup.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: We never have disasters in January.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: And then the Los Angeles fires hit, and we're out here.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: We've got our firefighters out.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'm kind of helping run all the volunteers and reconning the areas and getting food and aid to everyone that lost homes in many areas.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just been exhausted.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: The front line is really exhausted.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we used to get one disaster a year, and now it's every three to four days is a billion disaster globally.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: So all the front lines and the nonprofits and everybody working out, the first responders, we're just tired.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: So we need everyday citizens to just step up and help because it's just growing and growing, like due to climate and other reasons, just off the charts.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: We're just seeing towns and villages being wiped out all over the world.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so you're in an extraordinary position.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you have over 30,000 volunteers globally that you've built up over all these years since your first involvement at the 9-11 catastrophe.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: What with the LA fires, first of all, how quickly and how effectively can you walk us through what happens when you need third-wave volunteers?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: What actually happens in this situation and what do you access and what do you activate?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: The first responders first, you know, the firefighters and medical and health and everything like that.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just as soon as we hear it hits, we start forming.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because we have so many volunteers all over the world.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: First, we use all the LA volunteers who are first responders.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: So we we get them together because they have a house to go back to and things.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Well, some of them, some of them lost their homes.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: But so then we deploy them first and they're attacking the fires.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: We know we've got to get food and 80 and quick because this is a big disaster.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, in areas of the Palisades, it's only 13% contained, and then over in the Eaton fires, it's only 33% contained, so it's still going.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: So it's you know, it's natural and everything, but then there's man-man some man-made fires uh being started around as well.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we saw that on the news, yeah.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: So there's just a lot involved and a lot of organization, and changes day by day because everyone's asking, what are the needs?
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: What are the needs?
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: What are the lists?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: And pretty much in all these disasters when you've lost everything, the needs are similar.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: But I could call out to you and say, hey, we need nebulizers and this and this.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: By the time you get it organized with all your people and send it in containers from wherever, we have too many of them because everybody went to get that item.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very tricky, you know.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And um, so we concentrate on the first needs, water, food, and all that sort of things.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many kids and babies that lost homes.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: But then in my back of a mind, I'm really thinking long-term to find projects and communities that with our larger money that we raise, if we raise it, um, that we can put that into.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: But right now it's still in the critical stage, it's still in the first week, and um, there's just so much need everywhere.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so you mentioned nebulizers.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking actually, um, and obviously there's so much on Instagram, and I'm thank you.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: You've actually joined me to one of your WhatsApps.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm seeing what the some of the engagement and the extraordinary work your team are doing.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: It is really incredible.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think for anyone, for me, it's quite a privilege to be so thank you for joining me to that because it helps me understand the process.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: But for our listeners, for example, medications.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if all the pharmacies and in so many of these, you know, schools and all the resources have been destroyed, how do you access these, for example, medications like asthma um pumps and things like that?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, first of all, when you know you hear about an area hit, it's not the whole of Los Angeles, so there are places to go, you know, to different pharmacies and things.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: But we have built a system over years.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, direct relief do amazing work and we give them a magic list and they get it to us.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we have so many orgs that get us the medicines and things.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And also, you know, you could be in the middle of not everything is medical, so we could be in the middle of giving families aid in that, and then they quietly say, Oh, my lungs, my lungs.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody's lungs are full of snoop, smoke, and coughing and problems with the children.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: So then I'll suddenly whip out a stethoscope and start listening.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: If it's rural bad, I'll get them to an ER or a hospital or something like that.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, but there are, it's not the whole complete Los Angeles that's been taken over.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's areas, large, large areas, from big movie stars places to the poorest of the underserved communities, Latin and black communities.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what we focus on long term, um, is the underserved communities.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: Insurance and homes have been generations and builds up everything.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: So what are they gonna do and where they're gonna go?
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's always a housing crisis after this.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I mean we've been reading, I've been reading a lot this.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's where social media ironically becomes actually an incredible tool.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we talk about the negatives of social media, but I have to say, you know, here in Australia, we're getting the full news feed.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: We can see day by day, hour by hour, what is happening.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that probably serves also for fundraising, concerts, all of these things, literally actioned very quickly.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Are you finding that?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: So absolutely.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: We run all the disasters on social media these days, as well as WhatsApp, all the working groups.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll put up a WhatsApp and we'll have a main intel.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: But separate to that, we'll have another WhatsApp for medical, another WhatsApp for logistics, another WhatsApp for food, and it's all run on WhatsApp and on social media.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: And in social media, we find out the whether people are missing.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, my grandfather haven't seen him in a week, things like that.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: So social media is so important, but when it comes to a disaster, we get we know what areas to hit and who needs what, and so it's so important.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you if you can't get out and volunteer to get on your social media and push it, push it out because you might send it to a hundred people and no one does anything, but one person may donate something or something or help us.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I have a contact here, yeah, there, or whatever, and that's how it's all forming together.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then all the communities are coming together from the rappers and the actors and and everybody.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of like a utopia after disaster.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone comes together, there's no red or blue politics or any of that crap.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's just like help our fellow humans.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I wish it could be like that on a normal day.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's why I like being out, not an adrenaline junkie.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like that, but I have a lot of love to give, and it's just a beautiful time for humans to come together where the world is falling apart.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what?
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: You are one of the absolute trailblazers in that sense.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: You're a real leader in that.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know you do have a lot of love to give, but you're also extraordinary in terms of you have that hybrid of great empathy, but that amazing ability to put into action what needs to happen, which is actually quite hard because you've got to sort of manage your emotions because you're obviously seeing, you know, a lot of trauma and tragedy while also finding resources.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: What's the hardest thing for you at this when you are at the front lines like you have been today for 15 hours, you know?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: So, first of all, I'm Australian and you know how Australians have their stuff together and they're pretty good at doing all this stuff.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, for example, today I had to take uh go through completely destroyed houses.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: People aren't allowed anywhere near their places yet because we're still finding we there's still a lot of people missing.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: For example, in Altadina, we have 26 people that are still missing, so they so the firefighters go through and sift through every house, and it's a long process, you know, go through a complete house to find people.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm doing that, and then the same thing I think you know, I've done this for so long and I've seen this over and over, but it never gets old.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I had a little cry, but I had my goggles and my mask on, so no one could see it.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: But inside I just had my cry, and you gotta let it out.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's the serotonin and that because we're human too, and and it just doesn't get you know, thinking of all these families that have lost people or just lost everything.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to lose everything, even your toothbrush.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I was meeting these little girls that had a t-shirt and pants on today, and that's all they had to their name, you know.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm not surprised, Doctor.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I really I've learned to be, you know, I was just gonna say over these years of all these disasters, you know, I deal with a lot of deaf and destruction, but I've really learned to just live in the present, you know, just um sorry I've got WhatsApp friends and texts coming in at 2020 second.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just be present, you know.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yesterday I might be dealing with a fire, a flood, or a rape victim or whatever, collecting bodies.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: But right now I'm having Thai food with my girlfriends, and I'm very present.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then tomorrow I might be with more victims and that.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: But just staying present is how I heal and how I stay like this, so I don't have crazy dreams or whatever.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Just being present.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that works in our everyday life too.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Don't be dragging up the past and thinking and too far in the future.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like we've got to live now.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, people are dying every day from diseases or whatever.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: So just focus on loving people and your family and who's around you, but also know that citizens need to step up, and volunteers are really needed, and it's made me the happiest person that I know deep inside.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: And that spills over to your relationships and and and family and everything.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: So, service to others is is just really important.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: I can't stress that enough.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I just think that's so beautiful.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's why you and I have spoken over the years, and I've just I find you so inspiring, and of course, so proud to have an Aussie like you out and helping others the way you do.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's extraordinary.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: And you've obviously had great um accolade for that because people know it and acknowledge it.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: For you, also emotionally, you sound like you're actually quite centered.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, do you think that is something that you've got better at uh over time, or do you think it's something that's always a work in progress?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you think it's like it's a home skill?
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um I've learned to do it.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when I was in the World Trade Center attacks, I kind of locked myself away for a few days, didn't want to hear and talk to anyone.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: And it was a bit rough, but then I went straight back in for nine months.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And and it's just over the years I've just developed something able to be.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: I I feel very Yeah, I've been I feel very at home in disasters.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um I land and everything's chaos, but my mind just settles and I'm like, yeah, I know what to do.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, but that's after many making many mistakes after years and years.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: I've just learned how to do it.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and yeah.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank God you have, and and and very thank God for a lot of people that you're helping.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we land and it's so, so big, and people get mined, they're all boggled.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone in Los Angeles is in trauma and shock, even if you're nowhere near the fires.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: But I always say, look, we can't help everyone, but hey, let's help these people over here, and it always grows to a lot, lot more.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: But you got to start somewhere, you know what I mean?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: So then it takes away the stress of oh, this over there.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: They need help there and there and there.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, no, let's focus on this area.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I always go to the very, very underserved poorest area.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: So it's where we started, you know, and we've still got teams and volunteers pushing out every day because the aid is starting to flow into these aid centers, but then they can't get to the aid centers.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: They've lost cars and everything, and they're staying with relatives, so they don't even know the aid centers are there.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: So we go to the aid centers, fill up the trucks with volunteers and push it out to different families.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: And we've got lots of lists of families and how many kids and ages and needs and that, but pretty much the needs are the same, you know, when you lose everything.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so, do you work closely with obviously local agencies and government?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: How are you finding?
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Because obviously, there's a lot of reticence and anger and confusion, and so so do you rely on your internal contacts and resources predominantly?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: Totally.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: We're not a big fan from the top down, from FEMA down.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: We work from the grassroots up.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: That's when you tap into all the churches.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: They've got 100 or 200 churches all connected, and other churches around America are sending in the aid.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really grassroots up, and we've got so much eternal stuff that we're pretty self-sufficient, you know, and and we get in because red tape, bureaucracy, and all the big orgs and all that, and all the egos and all that stuff goes on.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: But we just cut through all that.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: We don't have time for that because people are really desperate.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really internal.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: But we have some good ones, like the World Central Kitchen.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: If we're somewhere and a community needs food, we'll give them a call, they'll come over with food.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: Some of the good ones, you know, like Operation Blessing are really good.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: Two of the guys that run it are good friends, so they can get us water and stuff.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: So we do work together with the orcs we trust.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's a lot of fake ones out there just running around with cameras and egos and stuff.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: But we know them all.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we've been doing this so long.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: We know the good ones, and they're not so good ones that to align with.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so, but we're pretty self-sufficient and we just built up a big database of so long.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: And it's all the same NGOs and people that we see in all the disasters.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we're all pretty close friends.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: We're like, hey, you're here.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, we're here.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, what can we do?
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we're stronger together.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: But we just avoid government stuff and all the big orgs because um, you know, just from history, I'm not knocking anybody.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: There's some real great people that work for them, but sometimes the bureaucracy is just so big that you just okay, you know.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean that's what I that's what I'm reading, actually.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: And also it's interesting, like seeing the videos that and the photos that you sent me, um, and obviously I'm seeing lots on Insta, but you know, the the personal ones that you sent me from the front lines, what I'm also seeing is great humanity and great the way that you, you know, you are it's so beautiful watching you and your team and the way that you actually emotionally as well as physically and practically, you know, you hug, you connect, you you know, you're there for people in more than just, you know, a food pack.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: You're and that's something I think just has to come from the heart.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: So when you employ these volunteers or when they come on board, I'm assuming they're like-minded spirits, then you ensure that that's who comes on board knowing you.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_01: There's a disaster aid books are very about cutting the emotion and don't get too involved and don't hug and get close because you'll you'll be all upset later and all this stupid stuff.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: But humans need love and hugs more than all the other stuff.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I hug people and I stay in there.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: When they go to release, I hug them tight, and then you just feel them collapse and maybe cry or just sink into your arms.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's you know, they've been so strong for their family.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: It might be the first moment they just get to breathe and that.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: And other volunteers, we don't teach them that, but it's we teach them we just love in action.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: So they see me doing it and then they all start doing it, you know.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: They just they say, Oh, she's hugging them all.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: So everyone else starts hugging, and it ends up beautiful, you know, just um humanity together, and across the board, like so many amazing humans are stepping up and doing things over there and there, and with all the animals, and just it's it's really a beautiful thing, and and the world needs that beauty right now.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: There's just so much trauma.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: We're in eight disasters and two wars, right?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: We're overloaded, you know.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: We're still in Ukraine.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: We're so you're still in the Ukraine, Alison.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: Tell us like so you you said there's two wars and because these disasters are going so fast, usually you have a long time to work in one, but we're still in eight disasters and two wars.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: We're helping still in Ukraine um and Gaza helping out there, but not on the ground, but sending things and supporting stuff.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's just um, I just I said before, the front lines are exhausted.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's just disaster.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: We usually have in a disaster, one disaster that we could do for a year or many, many months at least to catch up.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: But it's like boom, boom, boom, every three to four days, boom, boom.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we're just choosing which ones to go to.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: We can't be at them all anymore.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: We used to be at every one, but it's just it's out of control.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: It really is.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's what do you put that down to?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think that's just, I mean, do you see obviously the wars are different, but the the climate change aspect and the is is that is that what you're seeing as the major contributor?
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, climate change is very, very real.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: And now you've got your denies and stuff, but even though like Americans are split over here about politics, like 89% believe in climate, you know, and uh I'm on the very front lines and I'm seeing villages and towns, ships just being washed away and wiped out.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: You saw what happened in Spain, in Valencia, and some of those towns.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's just off the charts.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, it's just growing too big.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I've created something called disaster force, which is really a swelling from the grassroots up.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: So every time we leave a disaster, we don't have to just wait till two years from there, it happens again, and then we race again and blind.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, after I leave a disaster, we set up a WhatsApp group with maybe 130 local orcs, lions, rotary, and everything.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: And we keep in touch all year, and then a disaster hits, we already have five houses ready to go.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: We have a system in place.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: So our idea is my idea present at the White House this year, um, is um uh from the Texas Gulf, um, resilient cities all the way through to Florida and North Carolina.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: So when the disaster hits, we have hubs in Orlando or through these cities.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: And if Orlando gets hit, we go up there and we take our resources up.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: But if it's in Louisiana, we resource that way, and it's swelling from the grassroots up because it's all about everyone getting involved in that.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: It can't be just nonprofits and first responders anymore.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's just out of control.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: So this disaster force is kind of opposite to our big FEMA from the top down, and we swell with all the grassroots, and we've all, you know, we tap into the universities for students and nurses and doctors from the hospitals on their days off and things like that.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: There's just so much we're not utilizing in our societies for disasters.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so disaster force, you'll hear about it in the future.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: We have Space Force over here.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna be delivering that to the White House.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see how it goes, because we have a new administration that usually cuts all the disaster funding, which is really and they they also cut um anything to do with climate.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: So that's gonna be really interesting for years here in the future.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's interesting to see how Elon Musk is gonna clash with Donald Trump, two demigods.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: I tell you what, you cut you really have like a it's almost like a Greek uh play over there.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: There's like there's Titans and there's I mean, it really is the US is extraordinary.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, you're right.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we're following it here and just seeing Trump come and the Trump administration come on board Jan 20, I think it is, and um Elon Musk, who last I saw, wasn't a politician but is a politician.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's very strange.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I think you is your concern that there will be funding cuts, as you've mentioned, do you think that for disaster relief?
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: When he was in last time he cut the funding for Puerto Rico, he wouldn't send the money and everything like that.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you know, he reported he reported he kept saying there was only 18 dead or whatever, and there were thousands and all all sorts of stuff going on.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um Elon Musk is not a climate, sorry, Elon Musk is not a climate denier, so that's gonna be an interesting uh thing to watch.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um Haiti, I represented Haiti for the environment and COP22 in Marrakesh, and we were sort of the last countries to join the Paris Agreement, and I helped negotiate that in Parliament.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: So, and then the Americans pulled out when Trump was in power.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we'll see what happens with that, with the two um ones a deny and ones not.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm not sure what's gonna happen there.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: But um, Elon Musk, you know, there's certain things we do or don't like or whatever, but in this disaster, he's been amazing at getting the Starlinks.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: He's given us unlimited Starlinks, we've been setting them up in communities all over.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: We arrive, there's no communications, and the guy from Starlink arrived, sets it up for free, probably for the next three or four months or whatever.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: So that has been a godsend, you know.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so I don't focus on the squabbling, the politics, who's what what.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: We've all got our stuff.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, that was really important because creations to get messages out to the world, even for people that lost everything, to call relatives and that.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's important.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: So that was a really good move.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we'll see what's going to play out in the next years.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: But the disaster funding always gets cut, and he said he's gonna cut NOAA, um, which is really important, the tsunami warning systems in the world.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I've just come from Sri Lanka for our it was our 20-year anniversary of 2004 tsunami.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was 300,000 dead in 14 countries, and we created a tsunami.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: We created a Sami warning system in Sri Lanka.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: So it was the 20-year anniversary.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: So two weeks ago, we just went back.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: We met the chief and the villagers, and it was a you know a day of mourning, but also just in my heart celebration to see the villages rebuilt and they're strong.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: And the children that I all that we built a school for, they were little kids, and now they're 20 years old.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: So everyone was running and jumping, and they actually made a few murals of my work there.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: And they're pretty funny, these big walls of me holding all the children with waves crashing over our heads.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Pretty funny.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: But um that is beautiful though, that they honored you in that way.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And also, I suppose what I keep hearing in you, and I always say this when I speak to you, even through all the disaster and trauma that you see, you see so much goodness, and you have great faith in humanity, and you see real rebuild and reconstruction and recalibration.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're pretty, you're pretty um almost sort of from another world in terms of the way that you see it.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's so beautiful and it's very uplifting when there's so much crisis.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you don't let it seep into your skin fully.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know what?
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: If the world was completely all bad and evil, we wouldn't exist anymore.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: The nuclear bombs would have set off in that, but there's so much good as well, and the good wins over or seen it over and over in communities.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Win good wins over evil or whatever it's called, you know, and it does win.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: So that's why that there is a balance.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's not just all or bad.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: The humans deep down want to do good, they want to do something, and I see them rising, and and that's the beauty.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I focus on that, even though I'm standing at a something, it's a great tragedy, and I'm looking this way, I look the other way, and the humans are feeding each other or doing something.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what we focus on.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: Otherwise, we'll go crazy, you know, just focus on the love and push the love.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: And there's obviously plenty of it.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: And and you have shown time and time again that you're there to catch people when they're full and to give them that big hug, and also their food packs and their medical attention as well.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me, so for you, just focusing on the LA fires for a minute, what do you see as the greatest challenge moving forward in the next sort of few weeks?
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm reading different things.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be interested to get your perspective on that.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: Housing.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: Housing is now from weeks, from months to years.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I've seen that in the Carolinas, they're still in tents and campus and sheds.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like a house is gone, they give you a little shed and it's leaky and all that.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: So housing is the biggest situation.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Security, um, you know, a lot of the places are locked down, yes, because they're searching for bodies.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: But um, my friend evacuated, she came back and her whole house was looted.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: So she's trying to fix it up because she's going to be running our program out here.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_01: So her place, squatters had moved in and all that sort of stuff.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, housing is really important and mental health.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that the whole world after COVID has some form of mental health.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the little girl in her prom dress that sat at a computer and didn't go to the prom, the little kids in kindergarten had to wear a mask, like every single situation, the world is in trauma and is in mental health.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_01: So mental health really is the biggest, biggest, biggest need now and long term.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: And people don't recognize that, you know, when you're injured, you see a broken arm or a bleeding arm, and okay, we're gonna fix it.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: But when it's in up here, people keep it quiet a lot, you know, they keep it internally, or you just can't see it.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: So they don't treat it, or they don't, yeah.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, my father's a psychiatrist actually, and he's treated a lot of people over time, and he always talks about that.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: And he was really quite at the coal face of some of this stuff early on.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: And what you're saying, I think is true.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's sort of trauma upon trauma upon trauma, and how do we look after?
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: But also, I must say, the the apocalyptic nature of um and somewhat dystopian experience of, you know, and I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few days, as I think we all have, of coming and not having a roof literally over your head, which makes you feel protected even when the world seems crazy.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: You have your sanctuary, and to lose your sanctuary with all of your history in it is so hard to comprehend and also would have massive attack uh effect on your mental health.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you sort of got that hand in hand, like where's my safe place?
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: In effect.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just it's yeah, the mental health is just so strong.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: But even right now, there's the stages of grieving, usually in a disaster, but people are still in deep shock, they just can't believe it.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm talking about people far away in LA that it wasn't even near, they're just in shock.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_01: You you see it, it's it's a kinder people also in the streets.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: You don't hear the beeping as much, and people opened the door for me, like a Gen Z opened the door for me today to go into In and Out Burger.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I was like, oh, that was nice.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you don't see that anymore.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: So everyone's kinder and that, but that that that ends after a few months.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: So um they'll go into after you know, with the stages of grieving, into denial first denial and anger, uh uh realization, oh, I actually don't have anything, and there's no insurance, and FEMA um they don't have much funding, so you only get a hotel for a little bit, and then if say your house is just say it's worth a hundred thousand, you maybe get fifteen or ten thousand, you know, they can't pay the full amount.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: So there's all those problems, um, which I can't really fix with.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, those insurance issues which sound diabolical.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: I can't even imagine, and how the insurances were cancelled a few months before, and a lot of people finding themselves unprotected in many ways.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: They're not even insured, in effect.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: And this one really reminded me of the Maui fires we responded to last year, or whenever it was.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: I kind of know there's so many disasters.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's walking through it.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: It felt a real similarity in what's going on and how just different little politicy fighting and pointing fingers.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, leadership isn't about pointing fingers and blah, blah, blah.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Just get your head down and work, you know.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's all this squabbling, you know, they're blaming the war, there wasn't enough water pressure.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: But just on a normal day, you know, in a major big city like this, there's water problems, you know, especially in California, and there's only a certain amount, you know, in a day.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: So there's there's so many things that can be explained if there's time to sit down, but there's all these conspiracy theories which always run around in every disaster stuff.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, people are doing their best, the firefighters are just exhausted, they haven't stopped, and um, you know, the blame is not the it's not the right time to blame, blame, blame right now.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: So if you were going to send a message out to my listeners and to the world who are gonna listen to this podcast, what is it that they can do to help?
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, funding is a huge issue and making sure, but they can go on your website, Third Wade Volunteers.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what is it like?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, I saw something that they uh somebody posted, don't send any more clothes because we have plenty.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Or, but I don't know if that's right.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: They're piled up everywhere in street corners, everywhere.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: There's just too many clothes.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: There's always too many clothes.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's the only thing we do not do is clothes because I've ended up with football fields for and people send their dirty underwear and they're dirty clothes with holes in it and all this sort of stuff, but there's enough clothes everywhere.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I know just from all the other disasters that over these next weeks that the big semi-trailers are just starting to roll in and and into all the churches and stuff.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, that's usually pretty good.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: And plus, it's hard from Australia to send that.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'd say just keep reposting and pushing out the message because it gets off the news in a few weeks and then they go to the next disaster.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: But look, no one out here even heard about Hurland and the Carolina disaster, which was really seven states from Florida all the way up Georgia and everything.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm like, you never heard about it, it's the largest US disaster.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, is this the uh the the news um have like a little program, the beginning, the disaster, the middle, a good fill family, and then then wrapping it up.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: But please keep responding.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_01: If you can donate thirdwavevolunteers.org, um, just whatever you can do, because it's a bit far to send volunteers from Australia.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: We usually tap into the locals and then pull in from other states because there's not enough accommodation for everybody.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um and just aware and and use what you're learning, watching this, because you will have many big disasters happening down there as well.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: So just learn from us.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: You just do what you can, or just apply the service and volunteering to your community.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't even have to be a big disaster, you know.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: I everyone wants to join us, and then I say, Hey, what's wrong in your community?
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: And and in Chicago, they have gun violence.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, what can we do?
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we find solutions, and um, and then they make community gardens for the urban areas where there's no um flowers or trees.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's always something you get a friend or two and you start a little project and then it grows.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_01: More people join in and that, and that's enough, you know.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_01: If we all did that stuff, man, the world would be really cool.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you're super, super inspiring.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: An Australian doing incredible work.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for your time.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're exhausted, and I know you need to have a good sleep, have some dinner and chill.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want to thank you, Alison, and hopefully we'll stay in communication.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as always, I love speaking to you, and I'm sure my listeners are so appreciative to hear your incredible, uh, I suppose, uplifting to some degree, uh, perspective on the world, even during a trauma.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: And you take care of you.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: I do.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: And yes what?
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: When I'm going home, you know, I've got to go home for a few days, sort things, and then come back and everything.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: So next week when I'm going home, my husband said, Look, I'm watching all the stuff you do.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so proud of you.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: He says, When you get home, I'm taking the day off work and I'm gonna treat you like a queen.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I always like that that going in, feeling so excited.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I thank you for this platform because you know it it's it I you know, we're in our little world, but if we can push the message out in any way, it's so important.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: Pleasure, and I look forward to seeing you in person when you're through this.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: And uh hopefully you'll be back in Australia soon, or I'll come to New York.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I mean now I was in New York, you know, but um um it's closer to all the disasters, so it's why I'm down.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: So where are you now?
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you based now?
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm living in Miami because I married a Cuban boy who I met.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: Miami's the gateway to America right now.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: All of South America has moved there, and Silicon Valley is moving there at Microsoft, and it's really an amazing hub.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's it's so much is going on.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: But why I'm there is first of all, I'm married to my husband, but also um with all the disasters throughout the Caribbean and Haiti and all through South America.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a really great jumping point.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: So that's a really good base for our organization.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: Well, very impressive Aussie flying around the world doing amazing work.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for your time and you take care of yourself, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_01: All right, love you.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: Love you.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_00: Bye.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm blessed to have so many wonderful guests coming on the show.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: So check out my What I've Learned Instagram for updates.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, stay tuned, kind, and curious.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: Love Deb.