Frank Storch Teams Up with Israel Bethea to Calm Tensions in Baltimore

Frank Storch and Israel Bethea decided they could not just sit back and let the rise in tension after the not-guilty Zimmerman verdict go unchecked. So Frank Storch went out and bought up hundreds of bottles of icy cold water, and with Bethea’s help, drove around town distributing them.

Frank Storch Calming Tensions in Baltimore

Israel Bethea, who is not only an African American, but also a German Jew, said that “people were so thankful.”

Storch and Bethea ended up giving out almost 400 bottles of water to people they saw as they drove up and down Park Heights Avenue and Reisterstown Road in Baltimore. At one point they even got on a bus to give out water to the grateful riders.

Bethea, who believes there are misunderstandings between the African-American and Jewish communities, said that distributing the water bottles was a great way to help mitigate some of the tension between the two groups.

“People were sincerely thankful,” said Bethea. “It was something small we could do to allay some tension. I was glad to be a part of it.”

Frank Storch Alerting Public to Think Before Installing Smart Meters

Home owners can defer installation of the smart meter if they desire

In a recently published brochure from Frank Storch, he suggests that citizens defer the installation of smart meters until they become more informed about the issues.

Beginning in the fall BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric) will begin replacing analog electric meters with what are called ‘smart meters.’ Many people, including Frank Storch, are requesting no-cost deferrals of the installation so that they can learn more about any dangers or inconveniences associated with the smart meters. They will then have the knowledge to make an informed choice about whether or not they want the installation performed by BGE.

The brochure suggests that Baltimore residents contact Mr. Jonathan Libber, president of Maryland Smart Meter Awareness (MSMA.)

Frank Storch and Smart Meters in Baltimore

Smart Meter may not be so smart

Frank Storch recently published a brochure to help residents in Baltimore County make an informed decision about whether to allow Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) to install smart meters into people’s homes.

Storch emphasizes that BGE is offering citizens the ability to request a deferral of the planned installation until a time when each family has done the necessary research to determine if they ultimately will accept a smart meter installed in their homes.

The brochure includes a message from Frank Storch, which reads, in part:

September 2013
Dear Fellow Community Members,
We are reaching out to you concerning a vital issue which could strongly impact all of our lives. As you may know, BGE is planning to install Smart Meters into all of our homes, businesses and schools. This could create serious health, safety, privacy and halachic issues. It is imperative for the community to join together to prevent this impending danger until more conclusive research has been completed.

The message continues by calling for a united campaign to say no to the installation of the Smart Meter devices, and warns that without any reaction from the public the meters will be installed automatically.

Anti-Defamation League Has Praise for Frank Storch Guidebook

Frank Storch Wrote "Keep Your School Safe"

Referring to the safety guidebook "Keep Your School Safe," recently published by Frank Storch, the Anti-Defamation said,

“We think it’s a useful resource and a welcome complement to our materials.” 

This statement, made by Elise Jarvis, the ADL’s associate director of law enforcement outreach and communal security, is high praise indeed, considering that the ADL distributes its own safety guidelines booklet.

Frank Storch is uniquely positioned to produce such a useful booklet as a security consultant and the coordinator for the Northern Park Heights Community Response Team in Baltimore. Storch says that he was able to receive some guidance from law enforcement groups and SWAT teams. He also elicited help from US-based and Israeli security and school professionals.

“They gave us a little bit of feedback,” Storch remarks.

Saving Lives with AED

Frank Storch, with the help of others such as Dr. Elimelech Goldstein, launched a program ten years ago which has the potential to save many lives; the AED program. With support from Project Ezra and the Chesed Fund of Baltimore, these pioneers have been installing automated external defibrillators in synagogues and other places where people gather.

Frank Storch said at a fundraiser for the program that,

“Thousands of lives each year would be saved if more defibrillators were placed throughout the country. We, as the Jewish nation, value life tremendously. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program shows achdus, unity, and our commitment to help all Jewish people, regardless of their affiliations,” said Frank Storch, who oversees the Chesed Fund Ltd.

Dr. Goldstein explained a bit about how the program first started back in 2003. Back then he was teaching CPR at local synagogues and schools as a volunteer for project Ezra. The group he worked with had talked about getting AEDs, but they were extremely expensive. But in 2003 the price on a certain model came down to only $1,000, which changed everything.

“We called a meeting together at Suburban Orthodox [Congregation Toras Chaim] for basically every synagogue and Jewish school in the state. We had a pretty full room and we offered the program to everyone. There were not a whole lot of people who turned it down,” recalled Dr. Goldstein.

Within just a few months 14 AEDs were installed in the Balitimore area. Now there are 70 such devices throughout Baltimore, and at least two lives have already been saved.

Frank Storch Discusses School Safety

For Frank Storch the tragic events which took place in December 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, were a wake-up call to do something about the safety of children within their schools. Taking the position that no one should any longer take for granted that our children are safe within the walls of their schools, Frank Storch began to write a clear, concise and easy to use guide to creating the most secure school possible for children. Within just a few months “Keep Your School Safe” was ready for distribution.

“My prayer for our community is that we will all do our part to protect ourselves.  It might be a small step like placing a buzzer system at the front doors of our schools or gathering important personnel information in one place in the front office or installing video cameras by each entrance.  The main thing is that we are working to improve the status quo,” Storch said.

Improving Safety in Your School with Frank Storch

The Jewish Federations of North America and the Anti-Defamation League agree that Frank Storch’s guidebook, Keep Your School Safe, is an excellent resource for schools and other institutions that want to improve in-house security.

Elise Jarvis, the associate director of law enforcement, outreach and communal security for the Anti-Defamation League praised Storch’s booklet and believes it will become an essential resource for promoting safety.

We think it’s a useful resource and a welcome complement to our materials,” said Ms. Jarvis. The ADL also publishes guidebooks for improving safety.

At the Jewish Federations of North America, in their Secure Community Network, praise was also heaped on Storch’s work.

“(This booklet is) yet another  excellent tool to equip our community leaders and those of you whom are responsible for securing our children, with the knowledge to better understand the risks, threats and vulnerabilities we all face and be empowered, to effect change, and to implement a true culture of security within our schools and institutions.”