Jackson paramedic assists with relief for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma

October 17, 2017

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson paramedic John McBrayer has returned home after assisting with relief from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

John McBrayer calls this his “favorite photo of all time,” when he helped a 96-year-old woman during disaster relief.

“If you can think of a hurricane from 2006 or 7 all the way up to present, I’ve probably been to most of them,” said McBrayer describing his experiences since Hurricane Katrina.

He’s been a paramedic since 1997, but when he’s not out on calls in the Hub City, he volunteers in disaster relief as a member of the National Disaster Medical System’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Most recently, he was deployed with DMAT to Houston for relief assistance for Hurricane Harvey.

“Houston was our base of operation,” McBrayer said. “We set up a shelter for the people who were having problems with flooding or damage to their homes. So, they came there, and probably three quarters of that group became patients one way or the other.”

During his time in Houston, his team operated a 250-bed medical station at a convention center. They worked 12 hours a day for a week.

“I have to give a shoutout to the Houston people,” McBrayer said. “They are pretty good and hard workers. They had their downtown up and ready and running in a matter of days.”

His team was then sent to Naples, Fla., to offer relief assistance for Hurricane Irma where they provided care to more than 2,000 residents.

“We really started that up from the get-go until we finished. I mean, we completely shut that place down and found all those people a place to stay,” McBrayer said.

McBrayer says he is humbled by the experiences and appreciates the support from his employer and everyone he works with when he deploys for disaster response.