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Business leaders pulled together for recovery after Waldo

Thirteen months after Waldo Canyon fire killed two residents and destroyed 347 homes, our community should take pride in the swift and professional private-sector response that has made ongoing recovery a model other communities and governments should consider in the wake of disasters.

A thorough expose by reporter Ryan Maye Handy in Sunday's Gazette tells the story of business leaders who dropped everything after Waldo ravaged west-side homes June 26, devoting much of their lives for the past year to helping people recover financially and emotionally.

Understanding business more than anything else, they put together a model for recovery, known as Colorado Springs Together, that resulted in remarkably faster results than we've seen when victims are left to count mostly on assistance from government. Based on figures supplied by Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach's office, 13 months after the fire we've seen the rebuild of 94 of 347 burned homes. With another 119 under construction, 61 percent of are rebuilt or on their way to completion.

Anyone who's unimpressed by those figures has forgotten the sluggish Hurricane Katrina recovery and doesn't understand the pace of typical post-disaster responses. Up in Boulder, the Fourmile Canyon fire destroyed 169 homes - three years ago. Only 34 percent of homes have been rebuilt or are under construction, based on figures obtained by Bach. Again, that fire was three years ago and recovery is nowhere near as far along as it is in the area devastated by Waldo.

Handy's story explained how GE Johnson Construction, among the region's larger construction firms, stepped in to quickly lead the way on what seemed an insurmountable task of removing charred debris.

"We were just trying to figure out our role - what can we do, what can we impact," said Jim Johnson, the company's president and CEO.

Colorado Springs Together was led by high-tech entrepreneur Bob Cutter after he received a June 27 call for help from Bach. Cutter never questioned the mayor's request and simply rose to the occasion of responding to a disaster larger than anyone had seen in Colorado Springs. Cutter and other volunteers established a one-stop shop that helped grieving victims, most of whom had lost all possessions, by working at whatever speed suited them. Some wanted to quickly get on with life. Others needed time to review options, mourn losses and battle insurance adjusters.

"One of the most visible signs of the fire that people wanted to see gone was the debris," Cutter told Handy, explaining the speedy cleanup by GE Johnson.

Cutter quickly learned his job involved rebuilding morale just as much as homes. His group hosted homeowners association meetings, support gatherings and an anniversary ceremony paid for entirely with private funds donated and earmarked for the event.

Even the most successful and speedy rebuilds have not been easy and some victims have barely started the process of reconstructing properties and lives. All have in some way benefited from the voluntary efforts of Colorado Springs Together, a group that was present only because business leaders said "yes" and chose to get involved.

"I got everything from them. If it hadn't been for CST, I'd still be drowning," said Gloria Horne, who lost her home in Parkside. Horne said the Colorado Springs Together center provided shelter, a sofa to crash on, food, fellowship and other forms of support.

Recovery from Waldo is far from over and few if any victims will simply move on as if nothing happened. Those who have never lost a home, and everything in it, cannot possibly understand the grief and struggles endured by those who have.

Cutter, Johnson and dozens of other business leaders had the heart and compassion to use their resources, time and skills to make this disaster considerably more bearable for anyone willing to accept their assistance. Their dedication provides an obvious example of the helpful nature of good businesses, which survive and prosper only if they improve the communities they serve.

Thank you, Colorado Springs Together, for creating a model of disaster relief the rest of society should emulate and improve upon with each disaster that destroys property and lives.

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View the full article and reader comments here.