A Brief History of Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts at the Newfoundland/Gander International Airport 1941-1985

Betty Mullaly-Moulton was raised in Northern Bay, Conception Bay, NL. She has resided in Gander since 1985. Betty holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Memorial University and a Graduate Diploma in Disaster and Emergency Management (DEM) from Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. She worked as a Social Worker and Social Work Manager for 25 years and a Regional Health Emergency Manager for 8 years. In 2010, Betty set up a DEM consulting company named DEM-NL Consulting and after 14 years in private practice she retired from the same. Since retirement, she has written and published two books: Gander’s Response to 9/11: A Story of Preparedness, Partnerships, and Philanthropy and Newfoundland’s Icon Past: Stories, Lore, and Ballads from Conception Bay’s North Shore. She is currently writing volume two of her second book.

Dr. Emily M. Doyle is a Registered Psychologist, counsellor educator, and consultant. She is the Program Director of the Master of Counselling program at Athabasca University, and her academic research interests include studying the social and institutional organization of front-line professional practices and experience. After growing up in another major airport town in Newfoundland (Stephenville), she was excited to contribute to the formation of this article highlighting the experience, skills, and learnings that have been built across decades by responders and community members in Gander.