Field Notes: Why One + One = so Much More than Two  

By Allison Flexner and Brittney Remesnik, Red Cross, 9 April 2025  

Before heading east to Louisville, Kentucky, we met up with Grayson Randall and Tim Forrest who are with one of our national community partners - MOVE, an IEEE-USA initiative*. MOVE provides emergency power and communications during disasters, offering a critical lifeline during incredibly difficult times. Imagine not being able to call for help, check on a loved one, or be without power for an extended period.  

MOVE volunteers are also trained Red Cross volunteers, specializing in disaster services technology. “When we’re on site we have all the knowledge to integrate directly with (Red Cross) teams on the ground to provide our services and to support the services of the Red Cross,” Randall, the operations lead, told us.  

“In a matter of 30 minutes we can have internet, phones, power, a place to actually start operations. It’s very valuable, very early in the event, that we can quickly establish communications, then we support the Red Cross as they go to resource centers, MARCs (multi-agency resource centers) and other areas that have very poor communications, we can go out and help assist with those,” Randall said.  

“We’re looking forward to continuing to fill in the areas where communication is poor and we can bring up internet, phones and power solutions to support shelters, resource centers and other things that the Red Cross is involved with,” said Randall.  

MOVE vehicles are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes, data connectivity, and power banks. Two of their three vehicles in the U.S. are deployed - one in Paducah and another in Louisville – helping people whose lives have been turned upside down or worse.  

Collaboration with community partners is essential in providing large-scale disaster relief. This partnership between the American Red Cross and MOVE goes back nine years and includes 41 disasters. They are based in Durham, North Carolina, and played a substantial role in connecting people, resources and relief agencies in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.  

Here in Kentucky, we are working around the clock to deliver critical emergency support to thousands of families impacted by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding across the South and Midwest. In Kentucky and other states, the threat of flooding persists as rivers continue to rise.  

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the American Red Cross can partner with community organizations to provide more comprehensive support for people affected by disasters. In every response operation, we work closely with a wide range of partners—including local governments and NGOs—to coordinate efforts and ensure immediate needs are met. 

This collaborative network allows each organization to focus on its strengths, avoid duplicating services, and deliver help quickly and efficiently to those who need it most. 

 *IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization, dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.   

IEEE MOVE-3 Response to the Border 2 Wildfire Emergency

By Bill Torre

Between 24 and 27 January 2025, IEEE MOVE responded to a call from the American Red Cross to support an evacuation shelter that was being setup for people that were under orders to evacuate their homes in advance of the Border 2 wildfire.  The Border 2 wildfire started on Thursday, 23 January 2025 and advanced quickly by high-speed Santa Ana winds.  Driven by fast moving Santa Ana winds, the fire advanced quickly to the east toward the city of Chula Vista, threatening a high-density urban area. IEEE MOVE-3 vehicle and volunteers quickly mobilized and responded to the call with power and communication support.  IEEE MOVE Volunteer team members and members of local San Diego Chapter of the Red Cross Disaster Services Technology (DST), led by Bill Torre and Steve Kurtzman, deployed the IEEE MOVE-3 vehicle.  The American Red Cross evacuation shelter was set up in proximity to the fire at Cuyamaca College in south San Diego County.  The vehicle was equipped with laptop computers and associated communication equipment and was dispatched on Friday, 24 January 2025, at about 9 am.  Bill and Steve supported the American Red Cross to setup the evacuation shelter and the laptop computers at a registration station for evacuees, to be available when the shelter opened was opened at 12 noon, on Friday, 24 January 2025.  The Border 2 wildfire expanded quickly to over 6,000 acres.

The American Red Cross shelter housed about 38 families and 45 RVs that were evacuated from an RV park threatened by the fire.  By the following Saturday, the fire was about 10% contained and its advance toward the city of Chula Vista was slowed by firefighters. On Saturday the weather turned and the Santa Ana winds stopped and the rains came along. By Sunday, 26 January 2025, the fire was stopped and all evacuees were allowed to return to their homes. The American Red Cross evacuation shelter was closed at 10 am on Monday, 27 January 2025.

The IEEE MOVE-3 vehicle and volunteers were able to provide much-needed high speed internet service to the evacuation shelter necessary to provide emergency response for the Border 2 Wildfire.  Initially a Mifi provided by the American Red Cross DST was setup to provide internet service, but the cell phone coverage was so weak, with download speed of 0.4 BPS, that it could not be used to provide internet service for evacuee registration.  The LTE router from the IEEE MOVE-3 vehicle was deployed, providing sufficient throughput (26.9 MBPS) to support internet service for the American Red Cross evacuation shelter through the duration of the deployment.

IEEE-MOVE Upcoming Tech Talks

Tuesday, 29 April at 11:00 AM Eastern:

Introduction to MOVE India

Register Here

IEEE MOVE Global is an emergency response program dedicated to assisting natural disaster relief efforts with short-term communication and power solutions. The program provides essential services such as internet access, mobile phone charging, and lighting to help people stay connected during disasters. When not deployed for emergency relief, IEEE MOVE Global engages in community outreach and STEM education.

The IEEE MOVE India program, initiated by the IEEE India Council Region 10 in collaboration with state disaster agencies and NGOs, focuses on disaster response efforts in India. This talk will highlight MOVE India’s activities, including disaster awareness and STEM workshops conducted across the country. These workshops emphasize disaster preparedness, climate change, and sustainability, aiming to educate and empower students to create a safer, more resilient future. The session will also showcase the launch of STEM kits designed to educate students about climate change and sustainability.

Additionally, the talk will provide a preview of the MOVE India Truck, set to launch in 2025. This mobile vehicle, equipped with communication and power equipment, will play a key role in supporting disaster relief operations in India.

Sadhana Attavar is an Electronics and Communication Engineer with 38 years of experience in Science Communication. She served as the Director of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore, the southern headquarters of the National Council of Science Museums under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Notably, she was the first woman to hold this position since the museum was established in 1965. She also served on the Board of Directors of Creative Museum Designers, Kolkata, a company associated with the National Council of Science Museums. She specializes in establishing Science Museums and curating exhibitions related to Science and Technology. She led the development of state-of-the-art Science Centres in Pilikula, Mangalore, and Rajahmundry, and played a crucial role in creating India’s first food museum in Thanjavur, as well as various Innovation Hubs across South India. Her curatorial work includes the Space Technology Gallery, BEL Hall of Electronics, and the “Seeds of Culture” exhibition. She was instrumental in setting up the VSAT satellite communication network, which enabled educational programs for rural India. A Senior Member of IEEE, she has held several leadership roles, including Chair of Women in Engineering (WIE), Educational Activities Chair, and Treasurer of IEEE Bangalore Section. She is currently the Chair of the MOVE India program at IEEE India Council and a member of the MOVE Global Committee. She is also a member of the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board and the IEEE History Committee. In addition, she is the Chair of WIE ILS Subcommittee. In 2023, she was honored with the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award by the IEEE WIE Committee.

Tuesday, 27 May at 8:00 PM Eastern: Introduction to MOVE Puerto Rico

Bio: Francisco “Pacho” Carrero Valentin   

Francisco “Pacho” Carrero Valentin is a Chemical Engineer with over 20 years in the Biopharma Industry. He has been an IEEE member for the last three years and an honorary volunteer for the last 10 years. Currently living on the northwest side of Puerto Rico, he is the Chair of the MOVE Puerto Rico Locale and an active volunteer with the American Red Cross - Puerto Rico Chapter with the Disaster Technology and the Disaster Assessment Teams. Having experienced the impact of various atmospheric events in his island, he found in the IEEE MOVE program an opportunity to help and give back to Puerto Rico during those difficult times. He leads a great team of IEEE volunteers that are committed with the growth and development of the MOVE program in Puerto Rico and globally.

Tuesday, 24 June at 8:00 PM Eastern: Convoy of Hope

Bio: Ethan Forhetz

Ethan Forhetz is Convoy of Hope's Vice President of Public Engagement and National Spokesperson. Ethan joined Convoy's team after a 25-year career as an anchor in television news, working in various markets across the country, including St. Louis, Las Vegas, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Springfield, Missouri, which is the headquarters for Convoy of Hope.

He moved to Convoy of Hope four years ago to be "part of the solution."  Since being there, he has traveled to several major disaster scenes, including Hurricanes Helene, Milton, Ian, and Ida, as well as the LA wildfires and several tornadoes.  As part of his duties with Convoy of Hope, Ethan regularly communicates with the media.

Tuesday, 22 July at 8:00 PM Eastern: Team Rubicon

Abstract and Bio details to be announced prior to the presentation

Tuesday, 26 August at 8:00 PM Eastern: International Medical Corps

Abstract: International Medical Corps

Overview of World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Emergency Medical Team (EMT) network told through various deployments with an emphasis on hardware and software used in operations. 

Bio: Ronny Elfassy is International Medical Corps’ Senior Director of Global Logistics & Supply Chain. With more than 12 years of experience in humanitarian work as a logistics and operations specialist deploying mobile field clinics, he has led operations for disaster responses in Gaza, Haiti, Nepal, Mozambique, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and COVID-19 in the US, and supported operations in the Philippines, Ukraine, and Sudan.