ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) -- Dozens of resources from New York State have been sent to various southern communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 232 people across six states when it hit the U.S. at the end of September. During massive natural events with significant damage and devastation, often times the greatest support in near and far ways shines through. But what about those who are headed toward the dangers? One man who is originally from Western New York is currently in the heart of offer support to those who are on the front lines of both recovery and prepping efforts as Hurricane Milton rapidly approaches Florida. "Law enforcement in general is doing a better job of saying hey let's take care of our people. not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually," says Dr. Vernon Phillips. Dr. Phillips is originally from the Western New York area and has been serving for the past several years as the Chaplain Director of the Marion County Sheriff's Office in central Florida. He holds a motto, "Serve, Support, Sustain," which he applies to his role, alongside a team of volunteer chaplains. He also runs the peer-to-peer support group. The overall goal: making sure the approximate 1,000 employees are, themselves, okay, a necessity for the crucial work required for the job. "A lot of them that are preparing right now that are over there, they're doing all this preparedness work, they're here getting things ready, getting agencies ready, getting the community ready, getting the county ready, and they're not at home getting their stuff ready - right they're not at home making sure that their families are taken care of or that they've got what they need because they're here," Dr. Phillips explains. Following Hurricane Helene's fatal devastation through much of the Big Bend area in Florida, a team of deputies from the MCSO was deployed to nearby Live Oak. Dr. Phillips made the trip there to check-in on those team members and make sure they also had what they needed. "That just gave me the opportunity to go up there and just spend a couple hours with them just to see how they're holding up, given everything that they were doing because you know they're starting their day you know at 6:00 in the morning and they're going til 11, midnight." Dr. Phillips explains the average civilian is expected to experience anywhere from one to three "critical incidents" in a lifetime, often causing short or long-term trauma. For those in the law enforcement and first responder fields, over a 20 year career, will encounter anywhere from around 188 to upwards of 800 "critical incidents." Natural disasters are no exception. "Sometimes in some of these cases they've got several you know causalities and some of them are going in, they're doing rescue efforts and they're pulling people out of flood waters or they're you know recovering dead bodies and that takes a toll on that individual," says Dr. Phillips. "Resources have gotten better but the whole thing that needs to be pushed out or needs to be addressed within the first responder and law enforcement community is there's resources that are available to you and it's okay to say, 'I'm having a hard time with this call,' it's okay to say, "I'm feeling a little bit beaten up because I can't pull another lifeless child out of a pool." because it weighs on them," he continues. The Western NY native also started a non-profit agency in Marion County, outside of the Sheriff's Office, called "Critical Aspects" - this connects law enforcement and/or first responders with a therapist, trauma-informed and who specializes working with those in that field. The first six sessions are covered, but there are plenty of additional resources, including financial support for continued care. "To say that's not going to effect you is unrealistic - right - even though they've chosen this profession, even though they feel called - a lot of them - to be in this profession and they want to serve and help people that doesn't take away the humanity of who they are," says Dr. Phillips. WNY Red Cross teams have also been deployed to assist Florida as the state braces for Hurricane Milton. Between the impending storm and the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, recovery efforts for several communities and hundreds of thousands of people will be long-term. "One of the consequences of this is obviously the southeast region of the country has had a lot of cancellations of blood drives, we've lost you know thousands of units of potential blood donations so eventually that's going to have an impact so other regions in the country are trying to compensate for that so if people are inclined to give blood we welcome that as well," says Michael Tedesco, Regional Communications Manager for the WNY Red Cross. Red Cross is also addressing the misinformation which has been circulating in various mediums in connection to the relief responses. (see below) In an incentive launched Tuesday, Red Cross donors are eligible to receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card and be entered to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. Go to RedCrossBlood.org/treat to register. This runs through the last day of the month. Upcoming blood donation opportunities Oct. 8-31: Livingston Avon 10/15/2024: 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Avon Veterans Hall, 5480 Avon-E. Avon Rd 10/16/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 6274 E Avon-Lima Rd Dansville 10/22/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Dansville Ambulance, 18 Ossian Street Geneseo 10/18/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Livingston County Government Center, 6 Court street 10/29/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., UMC Geneseo- Community, 4520 Genesee St Livonia 10/21/2024: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., Livonia Fire Department, 4213 S Livonia Rd Mount Morris 10/24/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mount Morris Central School, Bonadonna Ave Retsof 10/23/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., York Central School, 2578 Genesee Street Monroe Brockport 10/23/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Seymour Library, 161 East Ave 10/29/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., State University of New York at Brockport Seymour College Union, 350 New Campus Drive Churchville 10/18/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Riga Town Hall, 6460 Buffalo Road Fairport 10/18/2024: 8:15 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Fairport HS, 1 Dave Paddock Way 10/26/2024: 7 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 6687 Pittsford Palmyra Rd Honeoye Falls 10/9/2024: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Honeoye Falls Ambulance, 210 East Street Mendon 10/28/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Catherines Church Monsignor Schnacky Community Center, 26 Mendon Ionia Road Penfield 10/16/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Town of Penfield, 2130 Penfield Road 10/18/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., YMCA Eastside, 1835 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd Rochester 10/8/2024: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Rochester General Hospital, 1425 Portland Ave, Rochester General Hospital 10/8/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/9/2024: 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., University of Rochester Alumni and Advancement Center, 300 E River Rd 10/9/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Greater Rochester International Airport, 1200 Brooks Ave. 10/9/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Rochester Police Locust Club, 1425 Lexington Ave. 10/10/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/11/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Gates Town Hall, 1605 Buffalo Rd 10/12/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Brighton Fire Department, 3100 East Avenue 10/14/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Irondequoit Fire Department, 2960 Culver Rd 10/15/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/16/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Monroe County Office Building, 39 W Main St 10/17/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/19/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Brighton High School, 1150 South Winton Road 10/22/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/23/2024: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Highland Hospital, 1000 South Ave 10/24/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/24/2024: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Rochester Institute of Technology Student, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive 10/26/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/28/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Planet Fitness - Gates, 78 Spencerport Rd 10/29/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Henrietta Recreation Center, 605 Calkins Road 10/29/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/30/2024: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., University of Rochester Medical Center Cafe 601, 601 Elmwood Ave 10/30/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/31/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., American Red Cross, 1040 University Ave 10/31/2024: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., University of Rochester Medical Center Cafe 601, 601 Elmwood Ave Spencerport 10/11/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Ogden Community Center, 269 Ogden Center Road 10/23/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Legion- Spencerport, 691 Trimmer Rd Webster 10/10/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Webster Fireman's Building, 172 Sanford St 10/17/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Webster Fireman's Building, 172 Sanford St 10/23/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Legion, 818 Ridge Road 10/26/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., St Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd West Henrietta 10/31/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., IDEX, 1180 John Street Ontario Bloomfield 10/30/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., East Bloomfield Central School, 21 Oakmount Ave. Canandaigua 10/8/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Crosswinds Wesleyan Church, 3360 Middle Cheshire 10/12/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Canandaigua Fire Department, 335 South Main Street 10/14/2024: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Reed Corners Federated Church, 4030 Route 247 10/22/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Crosswinds Wesleyan Church, 3360 Middle Cheshire 10/30/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., St Mary’s Church, 95 North Main St. Clifton Springs 10/21/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Clifton Springs Fire Department, Clifton Springs Fire Department, 39 Kendall Street 10/25/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Midlakes High School, 1554 Route 488 Geneva 10/16/2024: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Geneva Presbyterian Church, 24 Park Place 10/25/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Geneva General Hospital, 196 North St Hall 10/25/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Hall Fire Hall, 4890 NY-14A Honeoye 10/10/2024: 1:45 p.m. - 7 p.m., United Church of Christ, 8758 Main Rd Victor 10/22/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Coopervision, 209 High Point Drive Red-Cross-Misinformation-fact-sheet-2Download