Securadyne Systems’ employees come to the aid of one of their own in Oklahoma City
Natural disasters can destroy homes, businesses, and tear communities apart. They can be especially overwhelming when they impact families, friends and co-workers. On May 20, 2013 an F5 tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., and devastated the town within a matter of moments. Not only was this tragic event a shock to the nation, but it also had a significant impact on the Securadyne Systems’ family. Our branch location in Oklahoma City as well as our employees company-wide felt compelled to assist with the clean-up efforts.
On Wednesday June 19, 2013, Securadyne Systems had 18 volunteers from our branches in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas assist in the clean-up effort in Moore. This was particularly poignant considering one of Securadyne Systems’ own was directly affected. Tracy Simon, an Enterprise Account Executive in the Oklahoma City Branch, spearheaded the effort to work along with the Help Moore Rebuild disaster relief organization. Tracy’s home was damaged during the tornado and her daughter’s middle school was completely destroyed. This catastrophic event was a deeply personal one for Tracy, the Oklahoma City Team, and the entire Securadyne family. It was extraordinary to see the number of volunteers ready and willing to assist in this critical effort. After arriving at the relief organization’s headquarters, the team was briefed on the types of jobs available throughout the Moore area. Our large team was given the opportunity to clean-up a huge debris field scattered with the remains of homes destroyed in the nearby neighborhoods. The work was almost overwhelming given the amount of material strewn throughout the area – thankfully the summer weather cooperated and allowed the team to work efficiently and effectively in achieving our goal of clearing the field.
Once the team’s duties were done they were able to tour the areas of damage. It was clear that the immense destruction was much more significant than anyone expected. The most touching and challenging part of the visit was the stop at the Plaza Elementary school makeshift memorial. Plaza Elementary took the brunt of the tornado’s fury on that fateful day and a number of children and teachers lost their lives. The day of volunteering reinforced the importance of giving back to our communities which is a central component of our company core values.
The tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma can in no way diminish the spirit of the strong people in the community. It is clear that much more assistance is still needed to get their community back to any sense of normalcy. We are fortunate and thankful that our Securadyne family was not impacted to the degree of those less fortunate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Moore, OK and we encourage other individuals and businesses to support the people of Moore. For those of us at Securadyne Systems, we will continue to look for opportunities to reach out and help make our communities safer and more secure by giving back.
