Feral Jundi

   A couple things I am noticing about this disaster, that I think indicates some issues that need to be looked at hard for future international disaster relief operations.  Initial attack for this needs to be organized and geared towards establishing a centralized command built around ICS or Incident Command System. If you do not get organized, you will see the massive size of the operation cripple itself, and the crucial elements of a rescue will not get in there in time.

   So let’s get started with the first steps.  I am operating on the assumption that diplomacy has succeeded in allowing a rescue effort to commence.  Without that blessing, nothing can happen. But if there is a go for this type of operation, then this is what needs to happen. Centralized command must be established, and those on the ground must impose their will on all of those wishing to help and who want help.  This is a war against death and destruction, and the enemy is time.  Without establishing some firm organization in the beginning, then you will see the effort become hindered, and lives being lost do to inefficiency.

   When I fought forest fires, as well as other disasters in the fire services, we highly depended upon Incident Command and a high octane system of dispatch, in order to save lives and property.  We dealt with disasters every summer, and sometimes year round, and you eventually come to some conclusions about the best way to get the job done. It could be fires or floods or whatever, you must bring order to chaos, and you must take control of the situation in order to save lives.

   So this is how I would approach Haiti, in order to respond faster and with more efficiency.  I would fly in with aircraft, look for a means to land, and if there was no place to land, I would parachute folks in.  As we speak, there are hundreds of Incident Command qualified smokejumpers, located throughout the Western US, who could easily answer the call.  They have the means to set up Incident Command centers on the ground, and set up numerous division bosses, air operations, logistics, etc., who can all report into the IC about what it is they exactly need in order to accomplish the goal.

   Another means of getting folks on the ground quickly, is helicopters or to use sea planes with boats for getting to the mainland.  The idea is aviation is what will get guys there quickly so they can establish command, assess, organize, and get the ball rolling as to what is needed and where. This is the initial attack, and it is quick and dirty, all with the idea of laying down the foundation for the incident.  Bigger management teams can come in later, but this initial attack command element is perfect for getting the ball rolling.

   The military special forces or airborne units can get into this game too.  These folks can all bring weapons, communications gear, and assessment teams to help the Division commanders do what they gotta do.  The military can parachute in Rangers to secure airports.  Marines and Navy can use LCACs and landing ships to bring in dozers on shore to help repair the docks. Parachuting and air attack units coming in by helicopters, can easily help the effort through providing command assistance to the Division boss, and also provide security for that Division. Military folks can also help in rescuing people, but the big one is to task them with the immediate goal of establishing the pipeline for the bigger effort coming in behind us.

   Both the smokejumpers/incident command elements, along with the military elements, need to be self contained, come with all the tools for command and control, and have cash in order to buy or rent vehicles and interpreters.  You need mobility, and you need a way to talk with the local populations. Everyone on the ground must have the same radios.  I cannot stress that enough.  The military and the civilian components and all the aid groups coming in, must have a way to communicate with each other.

   The first order of business for this operation, would be food and water and medical supplies airdrops, and most importantly, tool airdrops.  We should be airdropping tools all over that place.  Shovels, bolt cutters, jacks, you name it.  Simple stuff that anyone can operate, in order to save lives in the collapsed buildings.  We must empower the people to save themselves, and yet again, it is a fallacy to tell them that we can save them all in the first three days.  The golden hours and days of a disaster like this, require everyone to get involved with the rescue. It is the only way, until more robust and capable forces are able to make it in.

   So that is the first stage.  Establish command on the ground and get some rescue equipment along with a little food and water to the people.  The food and water will increase their energy level so that they can actually be effective in their work.  I would also put tons of gloves and some first aid equipment in those drops as well.  We must help the people help themselves, as we try to get organized and get folks in there to assist.  In the fire services, we do paracargo operations all the time, have thousands of tools in our caches, and we can easily go shopping at all the hardware stores and range shops to fill boxes full of tools and get them on pallets for air drops.  The Air Force Air Force National Guard units could definitely join in with the paracargo operations.  Paracargo is old school, can deliver tons of whatever, can be crammed into a C-130 all the way down to a Cessna, and dropped where ever it is needed.

   The IC of the operation needs to do a triage of the situation first.  Establish an order of what will help the operation at hand.  He needs to work with the team to develop that plan. They need to map the place, and divide it up into divisions, and divide up the work.  ‘A’ through’ Z’ is what I would name the divisions, and separate them all by city streets or natural features.  The IC would then assign Division commanders or bosses to each division, along with setting up communication plans for each.  Communications must be a priority, and IC’s must be able to communicate with Division bosses via cellphone, satphone, or preferably by multi-ban programable radios.  Setting up a repeater(s) on the island is essential. The IC should also establish who the air operations guy is, the logistics guy, the camp manager, etc. on the team, and task them with the order of business.  Delegate as much as you can, and make sure everyone has communications with everyone.  The Communications manager will be tasked with getting all of that stuff up and running.

   If there is any surviving leadership on the island, these Division commanders need to tie in with these folks via their interpreters, and establish a rapport.  These local leaders can help in navigation and getting a quick feel for what is really bad or what needs attention first. They can also let the locals know that the foreigners are there to help.

   I would also set up shop at the airport, and instantly order up a military contingent that can secure, repair, and manage an airport. Until that happens, the air operations guy on the team, will be tasked with getting the airport in order.  Airport security and management is what the military is good at, and as soon as they get on deck, they could work with that air operations boss that is assigned there.

   Next, I would ask the military to send a team to evaluate and repair the docks, because if ships are to get supplies and troops in, they are going to need a way to offload.  For both the airport and docks, I would also ask the military to provide security for those operations. Until then, the division boss that has that dock or airport in his division would try all they can to repair and assess those places.

    The other mission that the military would need to focus on, is clearing the roads so the pipeline for the legions of aid folks coming in have a path.  The IC and Division managers on the ground could try to get Haitian dozers to work on these various aspects, but really, I would not have much faith in being able to control these groups and equipment.  They would be in shock, and they would be too focused on saving individuals in the towns. But that would be a huge help to the operation, to get the roads cleared so the population and aid workers can travel unhindered and safely. This is where imposing one’s will on others, could actually save lives for the better good of the effort.

   Then I would contact whomever is coordinating the dispatch in the US, to ensure the pipeline in the US is being managed by a Type 1 team, and also call up Incident Commander Type 1 or 2’s with their teams, and start looking for places to set them up in Haiti.  These are going to be massive camps, so soccer fields, or any large cement pads or gravel areas, are going to be key.  Because if it rains, or if there is another earthquake or whatever, large flat land areas that are immune to flood or rain or debris from falling buildings will be key.  My Division commanders would be tasked with finding these places, and they must be areas that are centrally located (hopefully) to the worst hit places. There would be camp areas established for displaced folks, and there would be camp areas established for the rescuers. You could do large scale camps, or just open up camps per division.

   The next order of business is that you need a way to get rescuers at the airport into the disaster zone and divisions.  Taxi drivers, and anyone with a vehicle, would have to be paid and brought into the plan.  That is the only way, and yet again, I would task the Division bosses and their teams in finding folks with pickup trucks and ask them to report to the airport.  By this time, the Division boss can also see what heavy equipment is operable in their area, they can assess hospitals and prisons and any other rescue needs.

   Back at the airport, the IC would control the inflow of rescuers, and assign them to divisions.  As more of the situation on the ground is revealed by the dozens of division bosses, the IC can properly staff their requests as rescuers come in and vehicles for transport come in.  The IC can also establish the proper communications with incoming people, brief them at where they can set up camp, brief them about hazards and just give them a quick briefing as to the organizational structure. That once they are assigned to a division, they need to go through the division boss if they have needs. A map and communications plan will be given to each person as they get off the plane, and everyone will know where to go to get updates, orders, and basic logistics in order to sustain operations.

   Finally, security must be a priority as well.  Yet again, the military is a fantastic group for that, and PMC’s can augment this need as well.  In the fire services, security was needed to either close off roads, guard expensive equipment, and maintain order at fire camps.  In the case of Haiti, marshal law would have to be established, as well as providing for the security of all of those that are involved with the rescue.  As an IC, your goal should be to help the rescuers that come in to do their job, and just focus on taking care of them so they can be effective.  You insure they are fed, equipped, briefed, and protected.  Help others to do their job, by making sure the entire operation is organized and well managed.  As complexity grows, then it is your job to make sure that more capable and prepared teams are inbound.  That is the goal with these deals, but until those teams show up, you have to do the best you can.

    The dispatch for the effort is depending on you to feed them the reports and requests necessary in order to properly respond.  As a IC, you continue to evaluate, and discuss with your management team, and strategize. You delegate everything, and insure you have appropriate control as you expand.  You must operate as a management team, and the IC is the quarterback for that team.

    The IC should also have the means to get some shared reality. Either they get in a vehicle, and visit all the divisions, or they hop in a helicopter and fly around. Hell, just start walking.  They should also try to tie in with any functional leaders of the police or EMS in that country, as well as any military teams or whatever.  Hopefully they will have gotten the word through diplomacy prior to the initial attack.  That diplomacy will be vital for the response, or nothing will happen to save people.  It kind of reminds of Burma when they wouldn’t allow any first responders in for their various disasters.

   So that is a quick down and dirty of what needs to happen on the ground in the beginning stages. This is basic initial attack, and as a smokejumper, we would go through this process every time for a fire.  From the small little fires, all the way up to the massive fires that consume entire towns.  It works, it is efficient and the way to go.

   As you can see with the current effort, there is tons of money being raised which is awesome. Tons of attention from the media and internet, which is awesome too. There are also thousands of rescue folks that all want to get in there to do the job thanks to that money and attention.  But there must be an organized effort to get them in there so they can save lives, and put the necessary manpower where it is needed. For Haiti, Incident Command along with a sensible initial attack must be established in order to make that happen and to save lives. –Matt

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Haiti Relief Effort Faces ‘Major Challenge’

January 15, 2010

By LIZ ROBBINS

A host of logistical problems snarled traffic at the Port-au-Prince airport on Thursday, forcing the airport to turn planes away, stranding relief workers for hours and threatening to delay the relief supplies that Haiti so desperately needs.

“The life clock is ticking away,” said Chief David C. Downey, one of 80 members of Miami-Dade Rescue who were waiting for transportation to get out of the airport on Thursday. “The sooner we can get to work and find people who are buried, the better.”

During the day, planes lined up 10 deep on the tarmac, many just parked with not enough fuel to go anywhere, while others circled above the city waiting to land. To the extent that Toussaint Louverture International Airport was able to function, it was thanks largely to the two air traffic controllers from the United States Air Force who had taken over the damaged tower and the United States Army soldiers who were directing ground operations.

While some search and rescue teams were able to land, the first large cargo shipment, of water and medical supplies, was not scheduled to arrive until Friday at the earliest, according to the humanitarian arm of the shipping company DHL. But logistical challenges — no fuel for planes to leave, only one warehouse to hold the expected influx of materials and no clear plan of how to distribute supplies from the airport once it arrives — put the aid effort at risk.

Florian Westphal, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, said that some relief planes had landed in Port-au-Prince, but that there were no crews to unload them and “little security.”

By the afternoon, the airport was turning flights away because it could not accommodate them.

Chris Weeks, DHL’s director of humanitarian affairs, who has worked in disaster relief in tsunami- and hurricane-hit countries for five years, said, “I’ve got the feeling that this one is going to turn out worse than all of them because the airport itself is part of the victim in all of this.”

Rescue teams trying to leave the airport to start work in Port-au-Prince waited more than two hours for transportation to the American Embassy, just three miles from the terminal.

With air traffic to the capital cut off, some rescue organizations flew to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, to try to reach Port-au-Prince by bus or truck. Mr. Weeks said that he expected the airport there to become the secondary staging area for the aid efforts.

Gilberto Castro, DHL’s disaster response manager, said in a telephone interview with reporters that his team of six relief workers, who had arrived in the late morning Thursday, would be helping the United States military take the freight off the planes, and then storing it in one of three hangars. But how the aid would be distributed remained a question.

“To know where to take it and to know where to hand it over safely, that’s one of the big issues that humanitarian agencies have,” he said. “If we’re not going to be getting the aid out in a hurry, it has to be taken out of the aircraft, and it needs to be stored.”

Mr. Castro said that although the United States Army was controlling the ground operations, he was concerned about security. “Security is going to be an issue over the next few days,” he said.

In addition to soldiers from the United States, France and other countries milling around on the tarmac, there were police rescue teams, diplomats, members of aid groups and anxious Haitian families trying to flee.

A fortunate handful of Haitians had secured seats on small charter planes. Velina Charlier, 29, said her company, Digicel, had chartered a plane to fly a dozen or so employees to Jamaica. She stood just inside the airport lobby by a United Nations check-in desk, covering the ears of her 28-day-old baby, Isis, who slept calmly amid the noise.

“I can’t take the chance with her,” Ms. Charlier said. “It’s going to be too difficult to get food and water, and I’m breastfeeding.”

Officials from Doctors Without Borders were due to arrive in Port-au-Prince on a plane from Panama with supplies on Thursday, and the group had six more chartered planes scheduled to arrive in the next few days, said François Servranckx, a spokesman for the group.

Mr. Servranckx said he was concerned about how “to find trucks to move the goods from the airport” after they are unloaded. “It all depends on the size of the material,” he said. “We can still move it with cars. Apparently it’s possible to move from the airport to different projects.”

Direct Relief International, an organization based in Santa Barbara, Calif., said it had 20 pallets containing at least four tons of medical supplies donated by major pharmaceutical companies ready to be picked up by FedEx at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. But a FedEx spokesman said that it was still negotiating with the United Nations and government agencies for a time slot to land in Port-au-Prince, hoping that it would be by the weekend.

Large shipments of supplies cannot yet reach the capital by sea, either, because of heavy damage to Haiti’s largest seaport at Port-au-Prince. Richard Lebrun, a spokesman for Terminal Varreux, the company that operates the main port facilities, said that its two terminals in the city were destroyed by the quake.

Thirty dock workers who had been unloading freight drowned when the quake struck Tuesday, the company said.

Cap Haitien, a port on the north side of the island, was likely to become the primary port for relief supplies.

But Richard Dubin, the vice president of Haiti Shipping Lines, based in Miami, said Cap Haitien could handle only a third of the volume of Port-au-Prince.

“I think it’s going to be worse than anyone still understands,” he said.

Reporting was contributed by Damien Cave and Marc Lacey from Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Micheline Maynard from Detroit; and Maria Newman from New York.

Story here.