Aid to Haiti

[tunaFish 0]

Was just wondering, are there any "medical or rescue" personnel being sent to help out in Haiti?

Is the fact that it is out of the county ( requiring passports, visa's etc.) hindering help from the U.S. or other countries?

Just wondering.

[Guest Firediver]

I believe a Marine Expeditionary Unit is being sent to help. As for FD/EMS or a USAR TEam I do not know at this time. Maybe someone else on here can answer that.

[calhobs 110]

USAR Team 1 is being sent from Virgina they are the international response team, they will be joined by other international teams.

[FiftyOnePride 100]

http://firegeezer.com/2010/01/13/usar-teams-mobilize-for-haiti-rescue/

[tunaFish 0]

Nice to hear that. Such a huge, sad event, to happen to a place that suffers enough.

Glad to hear that the U.S and others are helping!

[jack10562 414]

There is always the AmericanRedCross International Relief Fund, if you care to donate $.$

http://www.redcross.org/

An average of 92 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I believe I read that Los Angeles is sending a USAR TF as well, I'll try to find the article that stated this information.

[ajsbear 11]

There's also Doctors without boarders. My wife and I know 2 who have been in Haiti for some time now. Close to a year each. We did get a message that they were OK, most of their equipment was destroyed as well as most medication etc. they had there.

"html%5Dhttps://donate.docto...ce=ADR1001E1D01%5B/html%5D"

[Steve 78]

I am kind of surprised that this country is only senting one team of USAR to such a large scale disaster. Does anyone know if the northeast is sending any resources?

I have a close friend that is from Haiti. He would tell me how the fire service is basically non-existant in Haiti.

Very poorly trained with minimal equipment, usually hand me downs donated from other countries.

[ex-commish 490]

Nice to hear that. Such a huge, sad event, to happen to a place that suffers enough.

Glad to hear that the U.S and others are helping!

Yes once again the big bad USA is the first sending money, military, and rescue personnell.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I am kind of surprised that this country is only senting one team of USAR to such a large scale disaster. Does anyone know if the northeast is sending any resources?

I think you underestimate how large a USAR Task Force really is. VA TF-1's website, there are over 200 members to their team. Los Angeles County USAR (CA-TF2) has 70 members, and Miami Dade County USAR can send 70 members to a rallying point within 6 hours for deployment, according to their respective websites. That is ALOT of personnel for one country to send. Don't forget other nations (Canada in particular) will be sending teams/military forces as well.

In addition to that, the US Navy is sending the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) whose ship's company consists of about 3,200 sailors with an air wing of about 2,500. Again, according to websites that talk about the ship. Naturally, not all 3,200 sailors will be directly helping the rescue efforts, as I suppose someone must watch the ship (Pirates of the Carribean anyone?)

In addition, the US Marines are sending a Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) of about 2,000 Marines, and President Obama has placed a brigade of another 2,500 troops on alert.

Also, you may be over-estimating how large Haiti is:

Virginia's Area: 42,774.2 sq mi

Virginia's Population: 7,882,590

Los Angeles County Area: 4,752 sq mi

Los Angeles County Population: 9,862,049

Haiti's Area: 27,750 sq km

Haiti's Population: 8,706,497

The state of VA is larger in size than Haiti, and the County of Los Angeles is more populated. That's a LOT of rescue assets for a relatively small country.

[tunaFish 0]

There's also Doctors without boarders. My wife and I know 2 who have been in Haiti for some time now. Close to a year each. We did get a message that they were OK, most of their equipment was destroyed as well as most medication etc. they had there.

[https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197&hbc=1&source=ADR1001E1D01

I read on the internet about Doctors Without Borders. It did mention most of their stuff was destroyed. They're expecting back up's with tents to do surgery, treat patients, have medical supplies and water there.

Great we have these kinds of people to help out. We( the U.S.)also have several ships going there as well and should arrive tomorrow.

Let's not forget these people and of course their families over here!

" Edited January 14, 2010 by DOC22

[Steve 78]

Welcome to VATF1.org

VATF1 Deploys to Haiti January 13, 2010

Virginia Task Force 1 (VATF-1), Fairfax County's urban search and rescue team was activated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Tuesday evening, January 12, 2010, to the earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The task force is composed of 72 personnel, 6 search and rescue canines, search and technical rescue personnel, physicians, paramedics, structural engineers, other support personnel, and approximately 48 tons of rescue equipment and supplies. The team is self-sustaining for approximately 14 days. The task force left from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Academy at 8:15 a.m., January 13, 2010. The team will depart from Dulles International Airport late morning today. The task force deployed to the Haitian town of Petionville, near the capital of Port-au-Prince for a school collapse in November of 2008. The task force has also deployed nationally to the Oklahoma City Bombing, The Pentagon, Hurricanes Katrina and Isabel. Additionally, they have deployed internationally to the bombing in Kenya, earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan, and Iran. Additionally, as a part of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the task force maintains constant operational readiness, and is a local resource for residents of Fairfax County.

Edited January 14, 2010 by Steve

[Guest]

The USNS Comfort is being prepped for temporary service in Haiti as well.

[RescueKujo 130]

I think you underestimate how large a USAR Task Force really is. VA TF-1's website, there are over 200 members to their team. Los Angeles County USAR (CA-TF2) has 70 members, and Miami Dade County USAR can send 70 members to a rallying point within 6 hours for deployment, according to their respective websites. That is ALOT of personnel for one country to send. Don't forget other nations (Canada in particular) will be sending teams/military forces as well.

Actually, USAR Teams while they have over 100 plus members, they only deploy about 72 members at a time...Fairfax Va (VA-TF1), LACoFD (CA-TF2) and Florida TF1 and TF2 all deployed at this time with more probably to follow once recon and assessment is done by the initial teams...

[ckroll 101]

Yes once again the big bad USA is the first sending money, military, and rescue personnell.

[it does help to have a military presence in the Florida Straits.] As we all know, organizations already on the ground have the best opportunity to make a difference. I can add my support for DoctorsWithoutBorders/USA a.k.a. MSF. It is a limited scope organization that focuses on providing medical aid. They have two hospitals in Haiti that are badly damaged. Visit their website for information on what they are doing NOW and please consider making a donation.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Actually, USAR Teams while they have over 100 plus members, they only deploy about 72 members at a time...Fairfax Va (VA-TF1), LACoFD (CA-TF2) and Florida TF1 and TF2 all deployed at this time with more probably to follow once recon and assessment is done by the initial teams...

Upon further review, I stand corrected. But still, that's a lot of people for us to send.

Now, who provides operational security for the Task Forces? Disaster or no, Haiti isn't known for being the friendliest place in the world. I know law enforcement officers are part of the USAR TFs, but there are definite questions of jurisdiction. Will the Marines be doing that? UN Peacekeepers?

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Update: Elements of the US Army 82nd Airborne Division (about 100 Troopers) are being forward deployed to Haiti to prepare shelters and logistical support for an additional force of several hundred from the Division which is to arrive sometime Friday. Navy and Marines should beat them there, though I'm sure the Paratroopers aren't too happy about that... haha.

NY1 News is also reporting that New York Task Force One (FDNY, NYPD ESU) is deploying this morning to Haiti. Good to hear. Where do they deploy out of, Stewart AFB?

[NJMedic 96]

From this morning's FEMA National Situation Report

FEMA Actions

FEMA NRCC is activated to Level II, 24/7 operations

Region IV is at Level III Partial Activation due to Haiti evacuees possibly being evacuated to Florida.

National IMAT West activated and awaiting transportation; scheduled to depart Sacramento at 10:00 a.m. PST in USCG C-130

Thomasville, GA MERS activated and moving rolling stock to Homestead; currently in Orlando

Frederick, MD MERS activated in support of US&R operations and is awaiting airlift transportation

Maynard, MA MERS activated and awaiting airlift transportation

US&R VA-1 team (Fairfax County) in Haiti: base camp established, initial survey conducted, and priority targets identified

US&R CA-2 team (Los Angeles County) to arrive at 4:30 a.m. EST, January 14, in Haiti

US&R FL-1 and FL-2 (Miami-Dade) teams deploying from Homestead, FL on January 14

US&R VA-2, OH-1, CA-5, CA-7, NY-1, and TX-1 task forces have been activated and are awaiting transportation to Port-au-Prince; tentatively scheduled to arrive at Port-au-Prince today

A US&R Incident Support Team is preparing to deploy to support US&R operations in Haiti

Additional US&R teams on stand-by

Logistics provided Frederick MERS with meals and water for delivery to Haiti; additional meals and water, along with tarps, blankets, cots, and comfort kits have been ordered and will be delivered to Homestead AFB for pre-staging

Four External Affairs staff to depart today to Haiti to support USAID; one External Affairs staff to deploy to Washington, D.C.

Department of Health and Human Services

Four DMAT (NJ-1 is one of them) and four DMORT teams have been activated and are awaiting transportation to Haiti

Four additional DMAT and four additional DMORT teams are on stand-by

U.S. Coast Guard

Two cutters already in Haiti; two additional cutters are en route

Two fixed wing C-130 aircraft are performing over-flight assessments

Two C-130s with 140 passenger capacity to arrive January 14; first evacuation flight of UN personnel scheduled to depart for Santa Domingo at 10:00 a.m. EST; two additional evacuations may be possible later that day

U.S. Navy

Hospital ship USNS Comfort scheduled to arrive by January 22 to provide mobile hospital

Red Cross

Five person team being deployed to manage distribution

All relief supplies stored in Panama have been made available

$1 million in funds available for immediate response

[helicopper 1,050]

I am kind of surprised that this country is only senting one team of USAR to such a large scale disaster. Does anyone know if the northeast is sending any resources?

Other have already alluded to the capabilities of one USAR Task Force and the current list of resources being sent to Haiti is already posted. The international use of our domestic assets is spelled out and VA-TF1 and LA-TF2 are the primary international assets as are IMATs on the medical side.

I'd just like to add that despite the magnitude of the disaster, there has to be a reasoned response. There has to be some organization, some assessment of where and how resources will be deployed and managed, there has to be a plan for where these resources will be based, housed and plans made for their security.

You can't just drop 10,000 rescuers onto the island and expect them to be effective. There has to be a PLAN!

Also, we're not the only country sending aid and that international angle has to be coordinated as well.

Security is also an issue and I'm interested to see what the plan is for the security of our personnel given the bruhaha that arose after Katrina with our USAR's.

[ohbdow1 6]

NY Task Force 1 to deploy

NYC police, fire team heads to Haiti

NEW YORK (AP) -- A search and rescue team from New York City's police and fire departments will be helping with disaster relief in Haiti.

New York Task Force One is managed by the city's Office of Emergency Management.

It's trained to respond to catastrophes involving the collapse of heavy steel and concrete.

The 80 team members were expected to arrive in Haiti by Thursday evening.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the team trained at an earthquake drill two months ago in upstate New York.

TO DONATE:

http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/press_01131003.html

[NJMedic 96]

I believe it is important to consider that the response to Haiti is not a "bread-and-butter" EM/USAR operation. Consider the following:

(1) Though many states and localities have developed robust response capacities, this is not true in many nations. Typically, it is accepted that if the government is dysfunctional before an event, it is not likely to grow functional during a disaster, or in the immediate aftermath of one. Haiti has been viewed politically as a failed, or near-failed, state for years, suggesting it had inadequate governance structures prior to the event. Other nations are responding to assist, but one of the challenges will be how to work within the power vacuum they encounter. In most instances in the US, EM deals with badly impacted areas or regions, but there is still a city, county, tribal, state or federal government to work with, though, admittedly, it may take some time to get them engaged. In Haiti, with the entire nation affected, there is no overarching government to work with in rebuilding. The government that does exist has minimal resources.

(2) In the US, the NRF and NIMS provide a model for activation, response, oversight and communications. Training, planning and exercises have been focused on working within that model. How will this work in a foreign operation, where much of NIMS and virtually all of the NRF are not applicable? In this instance, is DHS the lead agency, or is it the Department of State, with agencies working through USAID, as has been the case with USAR deployments and some military-based humanitarian assistance in the past? If the DHS, how will they interact with foreign governments? If the DoS, how well will they coordinate the response activities of highly specialized teams?

(3) Over five years since Katrina, recovery efforts in the New Orleans area are still not where many wish them to be. What will the recovery to this earthquake be like, where the devastation impacted the majority of the nation, where the majority of the nation lived in dire poverty prior to the event, and where hunger and unsanitary conditions are endemic? What will be the legal, ethical, political, social implications of removing foreign assets when people are largely unable to sustain themselves at acceptable levels, though, in truth, many were in that state prior to the event? There is often a debate at the local level when a storm shelter is shut down and the homeless are left to shift for themselves. That debate is often localized, but this time the event may involve an entire nation, or the world. Will other nations feel compelled to remain and assist for a lengthy period?

We all hope that the response and recovery to Haiti will be effective and efficient. My point is simply that we may need to explore this response through a lens different than the traditional EM model used in the US. We need to start considering how to assist in recovery in Haiti, with the nations providing aid working harder and longer to rebuild the area than they might have done after a disaster in a more developed nation. We also need to start exploring how to adapt our EM operational models to meet the demands of foreign operations, perhaps focusing more on the concepts of contingent coordination or intergovernmental management, than on more rigid models of command and control. Ultimately, the point is not to be critical, but to learn from this event, which is much larger in scope than the foreign disaster aid previously provided, to see how we can make the process more effective in the future.

[ohbdow1 6]

The organization that will lead the response is USAID. The US Office for Disater Assistance is the "coordinating" part. The contact for Haiti is former President Bill Clinton. This Office works closely with the US State Department, with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as the lead I would assume that the communication between these two governmental organizations. Caviats are these, one is that Haiti has a great relationship with the US but not with the UN. The lead organization on the ground in Haiti is US Ambassodor to Haiti Kenneth Merten. The UN has 7,000 peace keepers on the ground there and maybe utilized for security if things deteriorate. If there are not enough monkey wrenches in using the NIMS modeling and ICS to try to organize this is the fact that all of the Haiti government facilities and potential leaders are lost. This would be a great case study for emergency management. As a side note we have been in Haiti since 1915 when Former President Wilson sent in the Marines. Almost a century later and the Marines are once again on the way with the US Navy, US Coast Guard and alot of other federal assets. Is there another Country greater than ours that can provide this? God Bless the men and women that are on their way to save lives.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

They just announced we are going to give 100 million dollars in aid to this country. It would be cheaper if we used our industry here in the US to build prefab homes and ship them over there. In the mean time. They could bulldoze whatever shacks and whatnot they still have standing or not. Clear that land and just start dropping houses. Didn't we just get done rebuilding this country not to long ago? I'm all for assisting with rescue efforts. Don't get me wrong. But when is enough. Enough?

[efdcapt115 1,511]

"Managing the group is Rescue Battalion Chief Joe Downey, whose late father, Deputy Chief Ray Downey, started the USAR program. Chief Ray Downey was killed in the World Trade Center attacks.

The team is self-sufficient and able to operate for at least 72 hours from the time they reach the island, with their own supply of water, food and shelter."

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2010/011410b.shtml

Be safe bros.

[rutola413 5]

I also heard that numerous DMAT Teams (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) have been activated. I THINK it includes: MA, NJ, OH, CA, FL, maybe more?

If anyone else knows anything let me know. My brother is on the CT team and he says they MIGHT get put on standby.

This IS NOT confirmed, as I haven't heard anything on the news.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

The world's first responders to Haiti; New York, Fairfax Va., L.A. County, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Spain, Nicaragua, South Korea, France & Germany, China. There's many more for sure.

Edited January 15, 2010 by efdcapt115

[RescueKujo 130]

Update: Elements of the US Army 82nd Airborne Division (about 100 Troopers) are being forward deployed to Haiti to prepare shelters and logistical support for an additional force of several hundred from the Division which is to arrive sometime Friday. Navy and Marines should beat them there, though I'm sure the Paratroopers aren't too happy about that... haha.

Members of the USAF 1st Special Operations Wing out of Hurlburt Field in Florida were among the first Military members in country for Tactical Air Control of the airport...

Here's a list of the different USAR teams

United States USAR Teams

CA TF5 is Orange County Fire Authority, CA TF7 is from the Sacramento Fire Department

[RescueKujo 130]

NY1 News is also reporting that New York Task Force One (FDNY, NYPD ESU) is deploying this morning to Haiti. Good to hear. Where do they deploy out of, Stewart AFB?

While I'm not familiar with the Capabilities of Stewart AFB, I would guess that they would drive to Dover AFB as that is the closest heavy lift base for the USAF...

[NJMedic 96]

While I'm not familiar with the Capabilities of Stewart AFB, I would guess that they would drive to Dover AFB as that is the closest heavy lift base for the USAF...

Joint Base McGuire could fulfill that role and is closer then Dover AFB.

Edited January 15, 2010 by NJMedic