Volunteers in Tennessee on Saturday were witness to an armed group of people confronting and threatening FEMA workers.
“They were armed — they were all open-carry — they had surrounded [the FEMA workers] and there was a lady that was yelling at them and threatening them,” said Tracy Elder, president and founder of the International Alliance of Community Chaplains. Her group has been working in disaster relief for more than 20 years.
The volunteers were working in Carter County, which borders North Carolina to the east, at the request of the Elk Mills Volunteer Fire Department to help run the command center there, providing supplies and resources for those in need.
Elder said she listened to the group’s grievances about FEMA but explained to them that her organization was not associated with the federal agency. Elder did call 911 because she felt the group was not being rational.
“I said, ‘Hey I hear you. You can say there’s no volunteers but I’m standing right in front of you honey and I’m here and we’re helping.’”
Elder said once the group realized that FEMA wasn’t taking those donations, and that the command center was run by volunteers, they left and surprisingly returned later with supplies to donate.
Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley suspects the group that confronted Elder is from North Carolina. According to other sheriffs he’s spoken to, they’ve been causing these problems on both sides of the state line and it’s unacceptable.
“Those FEMA workers, they’re here to help, and if you don’t want FEMA’s help, then politely tell them so. But they are human beings just like we are,” Fraley said.
