Monday, August 30, 2010
Louisiana: Hurricane Katrina Anniversary–Why Security Contractors Were Called Upon
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Industry Talk: Private Sector Eyes Opportunity In Haiti Rebuilding
From what I can gather, the IPOA/GIS conference in Miami is going well. I also want to emphasize that for you owners of small companies, who want to get involved with opportunities in Haiti, then these are the types of conferences you should be attending. It is also advisable to go to the conference prepared, meaning you have the licenses and you have your company squared away to actually deliver on promises. Do not be the schmuck that goes to one of these things, and is not prepared or hasn’t a clue on how to put action to words and get boots on the ground. All eyes are on you, and if you screw up, it gives the entire industry a black eye.
What will be cool, is if Doug can give an AAR on this conference, and provide some details that the readership might be interested in. I think it is noteworthy that they only had three weeks or so to put this together, when normally these events take months to plan. That to me only highlights the flexibility and speed of what the private industry is capable of if properly organized and mobilized. I witnessed the same reaction of private industry during the Katrina Hurricanes back in 2005, and it is definitely a strength of the industry. So the next step after this conference, is to see who goes where, and what they are doing. I will keep a watch on it, and see what pops up. –Matt
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Private Sector Eyes Opportunity in Haiti Rebuilding
By Pascal Fletcher
March 10, 2010
Rebuilding Haiti after its catastrophic earthquake should generate major contracts for private companies specializing in construction, logistics, transport and security, but U.S. executives say they need a clear reconstruction strategy to shape their business plans.
Private sector firms that focus on post-conflict or disaster relief operations gathered at a meeting in Miami this week to consider the business opportunities offered by Haiti’s recovery from the January 12 quake that devastated the capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns.
With Haiti’s government saying up to 300,000 people may have died, some economists are calling the Haitian quake the deadliest natural disaster in modern times. Relief experts and business leaders agree the mammoth task of rebuilding what was already the Western Hemisphere’s poorest state will be impossible without private sector participation.
“I don’t think they have any option but to get private companies in to help reconstruct Haiti,” Kevin Lumb, CEO of London-based Global Investment Summits Ltd, which organized the Haiti Reconstruction meeting in Miami, told Reuters.
“I think it opens up a great deal of business opportunities. Most of their infrastructure is destroyed, their roads, communications, buildings, it’s obviously affected water supply, electricity, so that all needs rebuilding,” Lumb said.
The Miami summit was also organized by the International Peace Operations Association, a trade group of companies working in conflict, post-conflict and disaster zones.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
History: Private Security Contractors And Disaster Relief–2005 And Now
I wanted to bring up some recent history about our group. David Isenberg just posted a great story about contractors and disaster relief, with a mention of Feral Jundi, and I figured I would give that audience coming over a little something extra to chew on.
Although I would like to briefly expand on David’s post with some history. Companies have done pro-bono work for disasters, and Blackwater was a prime example of that. They saved 121 people by plucking them off of their roofs with their helicopter during the mad early days of Hurricane Katrina, as well as hauling 11 tons of life saving supplies. That was done out of pocket, and serves as just one example of a company trying to do the right thing and providing ‘pro-bono’ services.
Then there are the hundreds of individual contractors that have medical skills, search and rescue skills or dog handling backgrounds, who are joining teams to go on over to the island in order to help. Or there are the contractors that are going over with church groups or other NGO’s, who are doing what they can to help out and serve. Then there are the contractors who are on contract right now, in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, that are sending money online. We have a heart, and we do care, despite what some might say about us. We also have a ton of pertinent skills for these kinds of disasters.
As for the security related responses, that is a little different. During the Katrina disaster, and certainly during this disaster, all the news agencies contract with individuals and small companies for security. That is the hypocrisy of the MSM. They will write scathing articles about the larger contractor companies, and then turn around and contract with smaller companies and individuals for their security when they go galloping around the world. They do the same thing in war zones, and it has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Ironically, these same security folks they hire, usually do work in the big companies like Blackwater or Triple Canopy as contractors. Why, because they have to feed their families too, and work is work. Oooooh, the horror……pfffft.
But back to Private Security Contractors and Disaster Relief. The response in Katrina was amazing. Companies responded quickly and they got boots on the ground, armed and ready to go. Some companies went in heavily armed in the beginning, and then graduated to a lesser security posture as the threat level decreased. I remember this shock that people had, that war zone contractors were in New Orleans, and that they are walking around with guns. Those in the media that were contractor haters, really drummed up this image that BW was running around out of control in New Orleans. Of course that was crap, and all they were trying to do was bringing order to chaos.
What happened in New Orleans, was a total break down of law in that town, and a total failure of the local leadership to provide order. (sounds like Haiti? huh) Private security contractors were brought in, along with the military and numerous other law enforcement agencies, to stop the looting and to protect the aid workers and people from any threats. And the security response to that incident was excellent. I am positive that if we did not have that kind of response, there would have been more crime and more lives lost. Aid workers and rescue folks would be more fearful for their lives, as opposed to rescuing people, and that is why security was so vital in places where there has been a complete breakdown in society.
Now with Haiti, that place was a failed state already. Now with the earthquake and all the death and destruction, those people are going to be even more desperate and irrational. Disasters like this, bring out the best and worst in humans, and security professionals are essential to provide order to the chaos.
That is why security is going to be vital in Haiti, and why all types of security are going to be necessary there. Send in the Marines, the Army, the UN, and PSC/PMC’s, all with the idea of keeping the peace and protecting the innocent. As we speak, there are hundreds of security contractors already contracted individually by the media or aid groups, all managing the security of those groups. Hell, there were already contractors there, providing services before this disaster, complete with offices and licenses.
I also want to mention the contractors that will be assisting in the rebuilding effort. The same warzone contractors that build and support there, will no doubt be answering the call for Haiti. PAE has an office in Haiti, and from what I have heard on the forums, they are still accounting for people. There were also the folks supporting the UN effort there, so contractors are already there. My heart goes out to those victims, as well as the UN victims, and all of the Haitian victims of this disaster. Everyone has lost people in this deal.
Hopefully, larger companies will assemble teams to provide security and logistics for larger operations there. The irony with that, is a journalist being protected by some retired SF trooper, will probably write a scathing article about warzone contractors in Haiti, terrorizing the locals and causing all sorts of problems. Bottom line, security contractors are sheepdogs, and they will do what they do best in this disaster. They will find a way to help, to protect, to give and to serve, just like everyone else who cares about helping the Haitians. –Matt
Edit: 01/16/2010 – It sounds like all the PAE folks are accounted for, and everyone is ok. I also heard on the forums that they are looking for folks for long term work in Haiti for the rebuild.
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From the Virginian Pilot
Bill Sizemore
September 15, 2005
“Anne Duke, a Blackwater spokeswoman, said Wednesday that the company has about 200 personnel in the hurricane-ravaged area. The vast majority – 164 employees – are working under a contract with the Federal Protective Service, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to protect government facilities. The 30-day contract can be extended indefinitely, she said.
Under a separate contract, the company supplied an airplane to the Coast Guard, Duke said, and also provided a helicopter at no charge to support Coast Guard rescue missions. As of Monday, Blackwater air crews had moved more than 11 tons of supplies and rescued 121 people, she said.”
Read the rest of story here.
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Private Security Contractors Head to Gulf
By Griff WitteWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, September 8, 2005
Companies in the Gulf Coast area hit by Hurricane Katrina are turning to an unusual source to protect people and property rendered vulnerable by the storm’s damage — private security contractors that specialize in supporting military operations in war-torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Disaster Response: Quake Slams Haiti, Thousands Feared Dead
I have posted the main story about what happened, and below this story is a list of all the ways you can help. From texting donations to just mailing money to organizations. This will be a massive effort, and we will see what the true assessment is as soon as the Incident Command Teams send out a report.
One thing that I am not hearing about, which will be a huge concern as time ticks away, is security. I have yet to see any advertisements for disaster relief related security operations, but we will keep our eye out. Haiti is an extremely poor nation (poorest in the western hemisphere), and security issues were a big problem before this earth quake. My guess is that massive looting and lawlessness will occur after the initial shock, along with attacks against aid workers and innocents in the weeks and months ahead. Providing security for these recovery operations will be very important if we really want to help Haiti.
The current privatised security operations, in my opinion, will be mostly rescuing clients–hotel guests, businessmen, travelers, or securing banks and other institutions vital to Haiti and foreign investors. Also, expect some of the aid groups to have some security folks. It looks like the various governments throughout the world are looking at this in the same way, with sending teams to rescue citizens, along with trying to help the Haitians with rescue and disaster relief.
I would also like to remind the readership that the private military company response to hurricanes like Katrina was excellent, and because Haiti is relatively close to the U.S., PMC’s could be contracted to do all sorts of things to help in that response. Blackwater was able to provide a helicopter, and hundreds of security contractors, all equipped and ready to work in that disaster zone, and they did an excellent job. BW saved lives and was able to keep the peace at the various disaster relief centers with guards. Other companies were able to respond quickly to the Katrina disaster, and were easily able to offer those services until no longer needed. I would also suggest security for the key communications infrastructure which will insure communications for people and aid will not be hindered. Security must be a priority, if in fact folks want the rest of the disaster relief operation to be successful. –Matt
Edit: I just found out that the main prison has collapsed, and prisoners have escaped. Also, the IPOA has just created a page for companies that are offering their services for the Haiti relief operations. Check it out here.
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Quake Slams Haiti; Thousands Feared Dead
A Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake and a Series of Aftershocks Hit Just 10 Miles From Capital
By NED POTTER, DEAN SCHABNER, STEPHEN SPLANE, AMMU KANNAMPILLY and BRIAN BRAIKER
Jan. 13, 2010 —
A major earthquake struck just off the coast of Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, reportedly causing extensive damage in the capital of Port-au-Prince, and one aid worker said, “There must be thousands of people dead.”
The quake had a magnitude of 7.0 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was centered just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.
The center was also relatively shallow, less than 10 miles below ground, raising the risk of damage.
Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in Port-au-Prince, told U.S. colleagues before phone service failed that “there must be thousands of people dead,” a spokeswoman for the aid group told The Associated Press.
“He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince,” Sara Fajardo said from the group’s offices in Maryland.