Pictured with mentor Andy Knox on site in Ohio
Pictured with his mother, Nancy, and his two brothers, Wheat and Parks
Pictured with his father, Bruce, and his two brothers, Wheat and Parks
Pictured with his wife, Sloane, and son, Cloud.
UNFORGETTABLES
Carlyle Kirbo was first deployed back in August of 2011 to Jackson, New Jersey, to assist with the restoration process after Hurricane Irene. He was charged with helping set up a Storm Services base camp site at a local Six Flags. After helping fellow team members with the set-up, Carlyle focused on the daily operations of the site. This included such things as changing linens, assisting with laundry, and parking trucks. Looking back, Carlyle recalls that, “It was both overwhelming and amazing. I was in total awe at how everything came together.”
Previously attending the company’s Base Camp Exercise, Carlyle had received some training with fellow team members on how to set up camp, and what to do while on a site. However, Carlyle said, “I received a lot of on the job training while in Jackson. I jumped right in and went for it! I like that you never know what the next day is going to bring and that we work as a team each day. I can’t think of a time we’ve come across a challenge that one of us hasn’t seen before. As a team, we have many different people from all aspects of life. Each person has different experiences that they bring to the table. It is helpful that all of us are able to tap into the resources and knowledge of other team members.”
Since working his first storm, Carlyle recalled one of his most memorable experiences, which took place on site in Ohio after a derecho swept through the area. The site was up and running when another storm headed its way. With little warning, Carlyle said that the Storm Services team came together to devise a plan to safely get through the second storm. After closing and securing the site, the winds began howling as the team evacuated to a nearby, non-operational school. Carlyle recalls that there was a local Volunteer Fire Department next door to the school. The fireman assisted the Storm Services team in getting into the school, where they remained until the storm passed. Following this, the team pulled together and worked to reopen the site once receiving the “go ahead” that it was safe to do so.
Reminded of the first couple of storms that he worked, Carlyle credits Andy Knox, a fellow team member, for being instrumental in his growth at Storm Services. Carlyle said, “Andy is someone I can call that I know will help me if I need it. He has a certain calm about him, and we are able to bounce ideas off one another. The experience that Andy has makes him helpful when different challenges arise.” When these challenges arise, Carlyle has learned that, “You don’t always have to have an instant answer. Its ok to take a step back, talk to others, and come up with a solution. We have hundreds of team members to pull from, which is one of our greatest strengths.”
Since 2011, Carlyle has been a valuable member of the Storm Services’ family. Today, he not only works as a site manager during a storm, but also works in the office at the Georgia headquarters. Carlyle lives in Bainbridge, Georgia, with his wife, Sloane, and son, Cloud. He praises Sloane for being so helpful when he is activated for a storm. He said, “When we’re activated, I often times leave home without knowing exactly where I’ll be going or for how long I’ll be gone. I wouldn’t be able to do this without Sloane being willing to take care of everything while I’m away. It can be a stressful time for everyone and the people we leave at home are just as important to our success as the people who are on site.”
When asked what his favorite part of working with Storm Services is, he responded by saying, “I like the sense of comradery that you feel here. I like knowing that when we are activated, we are helping people and what we are doing makes an impact on the community. I’ve enjoyed being able to see a little bit of everything since I work both on a site and in the office. It makes me appreciate the different rolls that each member of our team plays. Once we get activated, we all focus on one goal, which is making our clients happy. We set high expectations for ourselves, and I feel a sense of responsibility to always do a good job. As a whole, our group is able to bring a sense of calm to complete chaos. It makes me feel good that we are able to give people hope during hard times, and we can let them know that people are there to help.”
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