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In the Midst of the Fire
By Rachel Wegner 07
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He watched as ash fell like rain and the smoke was driven to the Pacific by the Santa Ana winds. Perdue said there was an eerie beauty about the whole scene, but he realized what devastation it indicated. In fact, the very nature of his job required him to be in the thick of the action of disasters such as the California wildfires that erupted in fall 2007.
As the CEO of the Orange County, Calif. chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC), Perdue has had his share of experience with disaster relief. Three million people live in Orange County, where Perdue oversees a well-seasoned team of eight disaster employees, which in turn manages operations in several counties of Southern California. He also oversees 800 disaster volunteers as well as a full staff of 73 employees and more than 1,300 volunteers. In addition, Perdue and his team are involved with task forces that provide adequate preparation, planning and preparedness activities for disaster and emergency situations. In other words, they plan for the "what-ifs" in the event of disaster or emergency.
"One of the focuses in the country right now, particularly learned from [Hurricane] Katrina, is on catastrophic disaster planning," Perdue said. "It's critical that the nation is prepared and that we, as the foremost agency in providing disaster services, are prepared as well. In any disaster response organization, 90 percent of your time is spent preparing for the 'what-ifs' and to mitigate the impact. When it does come, the preparation pays dividends."
During the fall 2007 wildfires, Perdue said that the situation was handled well by the ARC and that they were able to provide a safe haven and valuable information to many families and individuals. Although many volunteers and ARC staff members rose to the challenge of helping people, the aftermath of the wildfires was devastating to many areas of California.
"It was an excellent outpouring of humanitarian spirit through Southern California," Perdue said. "The impact on the economy is significant because of the loss of homes and some loss of life as well. There's never been a mass evacuation like that, with the exception of [Hurricane] Katrina. About a half a million San Diegoans had to leave their homes."
Looking back on the time since he finished ORU, Perdue noted that he had not planned to be in the field where he is today. When he first came to ORU in 1974 to study pre-med and biology, he had every intention of continuing on to become a doctor through ORU's then-newly established medical school. However, during the course of ministry and travel opportunities he took, including launching a ministry that reached people behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s, God opened his eyes to his true calling.
"God called me into humanitarian service, both in Christian ministry and outside the Christian arena, to have a positive influence on the world," Perdue said, reflecting on how he believes God ordered his steps. "Never did I dream that I'd visit more than 40 countries and be engaged in support and humanitarian relief across the globe. I'm looking forward to many more years of continuing on."
Stanley Perdue and his wife, Brenda, live in North Tustin, Calif., and have three grown children: Ryan, 25, Justin, 23, and Kristin, 20. They just celebrated 26 years of marriage in December 2007, to which Stanley said, "The love we share is just as fresh and new as it was when we got married 26 years ago."
