View Full Version : Haiti First Hand ???
My wife is on standby & a good friend is on standby to go to Haiti. My friend is scheduled to leave Fri. She is a nurse and will be going to a mountain town called Hinche. If my wife is deployed she will be all over the place.
Are any M4C members there or have contacts there with info on conditions for medical teams and or advice?
My friends medical team is VERY upset with how little info they have received and how unorganized things still appear to be. They were told that "they" needed to come up with 3 different "extrication points" in case of emergency. They are all nurses and and said WTF? :eek:Thats your job...blah, blah, blah...:rolleyes: Needless to say they (and their husbands) are questioning if its safe to go.
Seems to be a high Cluster F Factor.
My wife will not be deployed until the ICS for her team is up & running. I do not know if my friends team is working under an ICS or not.
Any reliable info would be appreciated:)
don't know what it is like now, but i had a lot of friends do the haitian patrols for the USCG back in the late 80s and early 90s...back then it wasn't a pleasant atmosphere...i was told of stories regarding the rampant outbreak of AIDS, people rescued that would try to spit blood on you, etc...made my ALPATs seem mundane and quite boring...i wish you well!!! let us know how it turns out in today's climate...i'm quite interested in how they use/perceive the US aid and military help...take care!!!
No one knows any First Responders in Haiti right now?
my wife told me today that one of the preachers from our day care is down there
to help...says they are sleeping outside instead of in the house due to the aftershocks right now...be prepared for the worst and hope for the best...
No one knows any First Responders in Haiti right now?
Check your email.
Cold Zero your PM box is full:eek:
I've got friends from my organization on the ground. Some looting and petty crimes, but according to the information I've received, very swift and decisive action against those individuals when caught by the local leo's, and in a few instances, very swift and severe reprisals from the local civilians. Too many volunteers in some areas leading to a lot of folks running around with nothing to do and generally getting in the way. Incoming personnel need to square away their shots, as no one there has time to waste taking care of imported medical drama. The aids crap is bullshit. One friend is wrapping up the third and final year of her tour. She's heard the stories of people slinging blood and feces at people and tells me it's bs on the scale of the rumint I've seen being pushed on some of the various gun sites. She acknowledges that usg practice is to roll in armored suv's or with USG psd crews, but in the 3 years she's been there she hasn't had any issues. Unless you're running around banging locals, aid's isn't something you need to be overly concerned with, more than it would be in say DC or South Africa.
Universally, and I've spoken to 4 of my colleagues on the ground, they tell me the situation there is dire in terms of the devastation of the 'quake, getting aid distributed, and just dealing with the environment (heat, smells, etc). In some places bodies are being burned, infrastructure that was already crap is now completely nonexistent; just overall a very miserable situation for all involved.
Cold Zero your PM box is full:eek:
Sir, email was clear, PM is now clear. Be Safe.
Civilian thanks,
The team leaving this week are ER nurses, so they aren't worried about AIDS, they ARE worried about if security is available in remote locations and general logistical support. They were told don't count on water "bring your own" and that they needed to come up with their own "3 extrication points" which had them a bit frazzled.
Do you know what Organization the Haitian Gov't made the Incident Command System coordinator?
I'll have to check if the GoH has a specific structure set up. My understanding is that where US support is concerned, USAID is in the lead through Ambassador Lucke, who serves as the relief coordinator. Closest thing from there to an Incident Command System is a multiagency management team deployed by Homeland Security that is performing the ICS function. Dude from FEMA and a RDML from the Coast Guard are heading that team. DOD elements are reporting to SOUTHCOM, and between the two, Amb Lucke and JTF Haiti, they are supporting/reporting to the Chief of Mission. Haitian Govt. is pretty much barely standing at this point, and the UN is having a major fit over not having command and control of all elements involved in the relief effort, to include the US, so at this point it's pretty much a cluster, with the U.S. basically holding its ground that we command our own people, while respecting the wishes and coordinating all efforts closely with the GoH.
I've got friends from my organization on the ground. Some looting and petty crimes, but according to the information I've received, very swift and decisive action against those individuals when caught by the local leo's, and in a few instances, very swift and severe reprisals from the local civilians. Too many volunteers in some areas leading to a lot of folks running around with nothing to do and generally getting in the way. Incoming personnel need to square away their shots, as no one there has time to waste taking care of imported medical drama. The aids crap is bullshit. One friend is wrapping up the third and final year of her tour. She's heard the stories of people slinging blood and feces at people and tells me it's bs on the scale of the rumint I've seen being pushed on some of the various gun sites. She acknowledges that usg practice is to roll in armored suv's or with USG psd crews, but in the 3 years she's been there she hasn't had any issues. Unless you're running around banging locals, aid's isn't something you need to be overly concerned with, more than it would be in say DC or South Africa.
Universally, and I've spoken to 4 of my colleagues on the ground, they tell me the situation there is dire in terms of the devastation of the 'quake, getting aid distributed, and just dealing with the environment (heat, smells, etc). In some places bodies are being burned, infrastructure that was already crap is now completely nonexistent; just overall a very miserable situation for all involved.
sorry, but back in the 80s and 90s the AIDS thing was REAL...and i know for a fact that stuff was going on...i had plenty of individuals in my rate that were on boarding teams that confirmed these accounts...that was the most hated tour of duty for my friends back then, and i don't believe these guys would EVER spout rumor regarding something that serious...
hopefully things have changed there, but back then that was the FACT not a bunch of bs rumors...they handled everything and everyone in bio hazard gear...
good luck to you and be safe!!!
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