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Within 17 minutes of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake striking Port-au-Prince, Haiti, FrontierMEDEX had notified clients of the event. Our medical and security teams quickly began assessing the situation, contacting on-the-ground resources and providing advice and guidance to clients who had travelers and expatriates in Haiti.
Time is crucial in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster. "Our first goal was to get the most accurate information as quickly as possible," says Bruce Kirby, President and COO Americas of FrontierMEDEX. "We needed to carefully evaluate the situation, so we could provide sound advice to our clients and their travelers."
While some organizations and travelers wanted to leave the country to return home to safety, many clients were trying to get into Port-au-Prince to help. Major news networks, relief agencies and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) organizations turned to us as their travel assistance company for aircraft, food and water, and other supplies. To provide on-the-ground medical, security and logistical assistance, we had seven individuals, including a Physician Advisor, operating from Haiti.
Despite the initial shutdown of Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport, we transported several high-profile clients into the city less than 12 hours after the earthquake. In fact, we coordinated the first three flights into Haiti. "Our teams worked all night to make secure transportation arrangements," says Charlie LeBlanc, President of Security Services. "With our help, a major news organization, now a FrontierMEDEX client, was able to obtain the first video footage, when their original provider was unable to get them into Haiti."
In the initial aftermath of the earthquake, FrontierMEDEX had 10 aircraft, consisting of two Jetstream 32 twin-engine turboprops with 19-seat capacity, six Bell 206 helicopters and two Learjet air ambulances, on stand-by or actively transporting people into and out of Haiti. Within 48 hours, we had moved 94 rescue workers, emergency responders and members of the press into Port-au-Prince. By the morning of Friday, January 15, several clients who had been affected by the earthquake were transported to nearby safe havens. As clients continued to travel in and out of the country, our on-the-ground resources provided food, water and fuel to clients in Port-au-Prince.
Overall, FrontierMEDEX provided assistance to more than 800 travelers and expatriates affected by the earthquake. "We are proud to be a part of the relief missions sponsored by our clients" adds Kirby.
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