Haiti Earthquake Response Update – Day 19 (31 January 2010)

Following the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has deployed various officers (roster attached) in response to a variety of requests. In addition to activities described in previous briefs, recent activities include:

    • The USPHS public health Advance Team on the USS Bataan continues working as part of the CMOC to help coordinate activities off the ship with those on the ground in Haiti.  CAPT Belardo went ashore with a 4-person detachment of the USPHS Applied Public Health Expeditionary Team (APHET) to perform water and sanitation assessments in Haiti.  CDR Denis and LCDR JeanPaul of the USPHS Advance Team stayed on board with the remaining officers from the APHET to finalize plans for these upcoming activities.  The team will be performing water and sanitation assessments, administering vaccines and collaborating with a local non-governmental organization to provide medical services in the area in and around Grand Goave.

    • Round the clock support for EMG operations continues with officers identified in previous updates.  LT Karen Charles (HSO, HRSA) will deploy in support of the EMG tomorrow, 01 February.

    • Two officers continue support to the Department of State (DOS) as ACF liaisons (LNO).

    • An officer continues to serve as an LNO to US Agency for International Development.

    • Ongoing dialogue with SOUTHCOM concerning their LNO requirements is established.

    • CAPT McRae and CDR Leslie McDonald, mental health LNOs to the IRCT, continue to work in support of their activities, assembling stress management visual resources for new staff rotating into the IRCT and debriefing demobilizing officers and staff.

    • Eleven officers continue supporting the IRCT in Haiti, in the planning, administration and finance, and logistics sections.

    • Five USPHS officers with Creole language skills continue assisting in ASPR operations in Haiti.  At least two of these officers have been identified to redeploy home tomorrow, 01 February.  Two officers will remain in theater for extended deployments.  A third officer has also been requested by the IRCT, as of this morning, to remain for an extended tour in Haiti given her exceptional performance of duties.  OFRD is pursuing supervisory concurrence for her continued participation in relief efforts.

    • OFRD has identified two French-speaking pharmacists in response to a request from ASPR.  The officers are rostered for deployment to Haiti in support of IRCT operations.  These officers are due to deploy to Haiti tomorrow, 01 February, pending resolution of passport issues.

    • The medical strike team at Orlando International Airport in Florida continues around the clock operations, providing medical triage to evacuees.  The strike team, which had been performing similar duties at Homestead Air Force Base, has been redeployed to Miami International Airport as of 2100 last night, augmenting medical personnel there.  This team's redeployment to Miami was for operational reasons, given the predominant number of repatriation flights being directed in to that airport.

    • The established medical strike team at Miami International Airport continued operations today.  They will be augmented by the redeployed team from Homestead Air Force Base.

    • OFRD has rostered 4 pre-configured on-call response teams (~188 officers) and ~800 on-call Tier 3 officers who remain available for deployment this month. Rosters are being prepared for next month.  All current on-call and next month’s on-call Team Leads have been updated by OFRD.

    • Total officers deployed to date: 65

    • Total officers currently deployed: 55

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