team rubicon on urgent search and rescue mission in the philippines november 13, 2013 walter hays,...

TEAM RUBICON ON URGENT SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION

IN THE PHILIPPINES NOVEMBER 13, 2013

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA 

HAIYAN REACHED THE PHILIPPINES: FRIDAY, NOV.

8

- - - A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS DEVELOPED AFTER HAIYAN DEVASTATED THE

PHILIPPINES

DIMENSIONS OF THE CRISIS

• Hospitals were either damaged or destroyed and unable to cope with the urgent healthcare needs.

• Medical staff did their best, but lacked adequate facilities, power and the necessary supplies.

DIMENSIONS OF THE CRISIS

• Infrastructure (utilities, sewage facilities, roads, bridges, airports, etc.) had been destroyed or rendered inoperable by Haiyan.

• As a result, search and rescue operations were SLOW, or bordering on the impossible.

THE TIME AVAILABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WAS

GROWING VERY SHORT

THE PEOPLE NEEDED HELP!

• A large fraction of the estimated 9.5 million people, including 1.7 million children, who were adversely affected in some way needed safe drinking water, food, and medicine.

• An alarming number of cases of dysentery were being reported.

TEAM RUBICON

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit, 8,000-person, all-volunteer force of ex-USA-

military service members

THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC

All Members (men and women) have experience working together in difficult

situations as a result of previous combat experience

EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS DISASTER EXPERIENCE

• After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010

• After super storm Sandy—October 2012

TEAM RUBICON: ENROUTE TO A FIELD HOSPITAL

DEPLOYED ON NOVEMBER 11

• Mission was to assist the Philippines Government in urgent search and rescue operations.

• Activities were complementary to those of the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, and others,

INITIAL MISSION IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Perform “patient extraction and medical triage” at the field hospital in Tanauan, where doctors have already performed nearly 100 operations, including numerous limb amputations. 

INITIAL MISSION IN THE PHILIPPINES

• The U.S. veterans – wearing work boots, hardhats and harnesses – also plan to establish a supply chain while delivering tourniquets and trauma kits containing gauze, pressure dressings, and nasal tubes meant to open airways.