Area paremedics lend aid to Hatians

  • By Mina Williams Enterprise editor
  • Tuesday, March 9, 2010 8:25pm

Paramedics have seen it all when it comes to disasters. But two Edmonds-based firefighters and paramedics report that whatever they have been exposed to pales in comparison to what they recently saw in Haiti.

Robert Chao and Brian Schleicher, both from Fire District 1, recently returned from Haiti where they lent medical assistance to earthquake victims.

Given the circumstances, the amazing and inspiring resilience of the Haitian people was striking, Chao said. “They are living in total devastation. Everyone is affected.”

The Haitians’ gratitude was striking for Schleicher. “No matter where we went people were always saying ‘thank you for coming.’ They are doing whatever they can to rebuild. Medical students, interpreters, everyone is pitching in, but they need skilled health care and people with technical skills.”

Chao and Schleicher joined small groups, assembled by the International Medical Assistance Team. IMAT is coordinated by Chris Tompkins, a FD 1 firefighter and paramedic, who is arranging private jets, gathering medical supplies and interviewing volunteers from around the country. Just days after the disastrous earthquake, Tompkins sent e-mails to FD1 personnel seeking volunteers to travel to Haiti. Chao and Schleicher responded.

Getting there was a key logistics issue. Once on the ground teams had to be nimble to get to those in need.

Half of Chao’s group traveled through Air Care Alliance, a humanitarian organization that pairs donated equipment with volunteer pilots to provide emergency transportation. Once on the ground they teamed up with some United Nations and Canadian troops and headed to Jacmel. “Jacmel had an air strip,” explained Chao. He described the city as similar to Edmonds, a resort town on the coast that had a population of 40,000. He estimated that 4,000 had died in the earthquake.

It was there that Chao’s group met Danny Pye, an ex-pat from Florida who runs Joy in Hope orphanage. “Danny is a resourceful guy,” Chao said. “He was running the airport. His kids were the ground crew, unloading gear. It is a true grassroots effort in Haiti. People are not affiliated with any relief organization, they just see things that need to be done.”

Pye sent the team to Leogane, a city that was close to the epicenter. Arriving there the group found Pierre, a Haitian-American emergency room nurse from Miami who was in Haiti for a visit. He had set up a makeshift clinic with only a canopy and patio chairs. Within minutes the Americans unpacked their medical equipment and began treating waiting patients. Most had not had care since the quake one week prior.

“One woman was brought to us in a wheelbarrow with a severely infected leg,” Chao said. “She needed surgery. Those serious cases were sent to field hospitals.” Chao estimated treating 200 people per day throughout their stay.

Schleicher reported the field hospital his group worked in at Cayes-Jacmel served 400 patients per day. “A woman came to us with four pelvis fractures and a femur fracture three weeks after the quake,” Schleicher said. “A man, who had been splashed with gas, had burns over 40 percent of his body.”

Chao would like to return to Haiti in a year. In the meantime he is keeping in touch with the people he met. “Rebuilding will be lots of work. If you ever want a reality check, go to Haiti.”

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