FW: Direct report from our Haiti headquarters
Al Ingersoll
Description
Collection
Title:
FW: Direct report from our Haiti headquarters
Creator:
Al Ingersoll
Date:
1/14/2010
Text:
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for the incredible offers of support. We definitely will need the
international P&O communities support in the coming months and I will write
again soon with these requests.
Below is an update from Antonio Kebreau, our in-country Operations Manager.
We have not heard from any P&O staff.
Take care,
Al
Al Ingersoll, BA, CP
Winkley Prosthetics, Orthotics & Pedorthics
740 Douglas Drive North
Golden Valley MN 55422 USA
Ph. 763-546-1177 Fax 763-847-9508
1-800-Winkley Direct to VM 763-252-1128
<Email Address Redacted>
www.Winkley.com
From: Eric Doubt [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>]
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:29 PM
Subject: Direct report from our Haiti headquarters
To all, Lisa and I finally heard from our operations manager, Antonio. first
of all, thank goodness, Antonio and his whole family are all fine. His
home, car, property, all okay. He has generator power, water, internet and
VOIP telephone communications. Antonio has personally seen the following
staff members who are okay: Siltane (who is living at the guest house),
Noel, Joel, Jean, Soeurette, Caseus and the security guards. All of these
people are unharmed. Noel unfortunately has not yet found his young
daughter. Jean’s wife is injured. Antonio confirmed that Dr. Lalane and
family are okay. His is the only home standing in his neighbourhood. We
have no news from any others yet.
I’m sorry to report the following news: in terms of our property, the main
apartment building facing the guest house is completely destroyed. Antonio
does not yet know the fate of two survivors still buried alive under the
rubble. As far as he knows, the other apartment dwellers got out. Our
clinic and administration building are damaged with cracks and the two
staircases leading to them are impassable. The clinic entrance to the
physiotherapy area has collapsed. Security are ensuring nobody goes near or
enters. The small private house past the pool across from the
administration steps has been destroyed. The guest house is intact, but
Antonio stresses it needs to be assessed. Siltane is safe in her apartment
which has a locked door. There is generator electricity. Not sure about
water yet.
Antonio reported that, on his walk from Petionville to our headquarters, it
was as if the entire city was out in the streets. When I asked about the
mood, he said very quiet because they are counting their dead. Three of the
Unibanks he knows of collapsed with people inside. There is no banking, no
gas available and the airport is closed except for emergency missions right
now. We have asked Antonio when he returns tomorrow to take detailed
photographs, to locate and report on other staff, to further assess the
guest house, to secure the compound, to locate the water purification system
in the guest house and make it operational for our use and the public’s if
necessary. He is going to be calling Lisa and I twice a day as
communications are possible to report and to take our questions. Antonio
and his home are going to be the communications centre for HHHI in Haiti for
the time being.
We told Antonio to communicate to his family, our staff and all our
associates that we are setting up an emergency relief fund for staff and
families and that we are planning for deploying an emergency response and
reconnaissance mission as soon as it is humanly possible. We assured him of
the massive worldwide support that we are witnessing in the media. We told
him to be safe and take no chances and thanked him on everyone’s behalf for
his calmness and compassion. This news came in after our emergency board
meeting tonight. We are holding a second such meeting tomorrow, Thursday
night and will provide you more details as we receive them on a regular
basis. You may, of course, have received some of this information already.
Feel free to pass any of it on to others.
On a positive note, donations via the web site and in person are substantial
and rising and we are flooded with material and volunteer offers which we
are coordinating. The best advice we have is to tell everyone the most
important thing we need is money and to go to the web site. Regarding
material donations, people can be thanked and asked to hold onto them until
we can get back and coordinate. Major donations can be referred to
Physicians for Peace. We advise volunteers to fill out the form on the web
site stating their specialties, as we will be requiring numerous teams to be
deployed throughout the year. We’re also categorizing specialties and
providing contact information to the Canadian and U.S. Red Cross and MSF.
Eric
-- --
Eric Doubt, Executive Director/ Directeur général
Healing Hands for Haiti International
Tel: 905.702.9964 Cell: 905.510.0401
Canadian Office: 26 James St., Georgetown ON L7G 2H4
A physical medicine & rehabilitation project since 1999
www.healinghandsforhaiti.org
Video at: <URL Redacted>
Photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/ericdoubt/collections/72157612037622688/
Thank you for the incredible offers of support. We definitely will need the
international P&O communities support in the coming months and I will write
again soon with these requests.
Below is an update from Antonio Kebreau, our in-country Operations Manager.
We have not heard from any P&O staff.
Take care,
Al
Al Ingersoll, BA, CP
Winkley Prosthetics, Orthotics & Pedorthics
740 Douglas Drive North
Golden Valley MN 55422 USA
Ph. 763-546-1177 Fax 763-847-9508
1-800-Winkley Direct to VM 763-252-1128
<Email Address Redacted>
www.Winkley.com
From: Eric Doubt [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>]
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:29 PM
Subject: Direct report from our Haiti headquarters
To all, Lisa and I finally heard from our operations manager, Antonio. first
of all, thank goodness, Antonio and his whole family are all fine. His
home, car, property, all okay. He has generator power, water, internet and
VOIP telephone communications. Antonio has personally seen the following
staff members who are okay: Siltane (who is living at the guest house),
Noel, Joel, Jean, Soeurette, Caseus and the security guards. All of these
people are unharmed. Noel unfortunately has not yet found his young
daughter. Jean’s wife is injured. Antonio confirmed that Dr. Lalane and
family are okay. His is the only home standing in his neighbourhood. We
have no news from any others yet.
I’m sorry to report the following news: in terms of our property, the main
apartment building facing the guest house is completely destroyed. Antonio
does not yet know the fate of two survivors still buried alive under the
rubble. As far as he knows, the other apartment dwellers got out. Our
clinic and administration building are damaged with cracks and the two
staircases leading to them are impassable. The clinic entrance to the
physiotherapy area has collapsed. Security are ensuring nobody goes near or
enters. The small private house past the pool across from the
administration steps has been destroyed. The guest house is intact, but
Antonio stresses it needs to be assessed. Siltane is safe in her apartment
which has a locked door. There is generator electricity. Not sure about
water yet.
Antonio reported that, on his walk from Petionville to our headquarters, it
was as if the entire city was out in the streets. When I asked about the
mood, he said very quiet because they are counting their dead. Three of the
Unibanks he knows of collapsed with people inside. There is no banking, no
gas available and the airport is closed except for emergency missions right
now. We have asked Antonio when he returns tomorrow to take detailed
photographs, to locate and report on other staff, to further assess the
guest house, to secure the compound, to locate the water purification system
in the guest house and make it operational for our use and the public’s if
necessary. He is going to be calling Lisa and I twice a day as
communications are possible to report and to take our questions. Antonio
and his home are going to be the communications centre for HHHI in Haiti for
the time being.
We told Antonio to communicate to his family, our staff and all our
associates that we are setting up an emergency relief fund for staff and
families and that we are planning for deploying an emergency response and
reconnaissance mission as soon as it is humanly possible. We assured him of
the massive worldwide support that we are witnessing in the media. We told
him to be safe and take no chances and thanked him on everyone’s behalf for
his calmness and compassion. This news came in after our emergency board
meeting tonight. We are holding a second such meeting tomorrow, Thursday
night and will provide you more details as we receive them on a regular
basis. You may, of course, have received some of this information already.
Feel free to pass any of it on to others.
On a positive note, donations via the web site and in person are substantial
and rising and we are flooded with material and volunteer offers which we
are coordinating. The best advice we have is to tell everyone the most
important thing we need is money and to go to the web site. Regarding
material donations, people can be thanked and asked to hold onto them until
we can get back and coordinate. Major donations can be referred to
Physicians for Peace. We advise volunteers to fill out the form on the web
site stating their specialties, as we will be requiring numerous teams to be
deployed throughout the year. We’re also categorizing specialties and
providing contact information to the Canadian and U.S. Red Cross and MSF.
Eric
-- --
Eric Doubt, Executive Director/ Directeur général
Healing Hands for Haiti International
Tel: 905.702.9964 Cell: 905.510.0401
Canadian Office: 26 James St., Georgetown ON L7G 2H4
A physical medicine & rehabilitation project since 1999
www.healinghandsforhaiti.org
Video at: <URL Redacted>
Photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/ericdoubt/collections/72157612037622688/
Citation
Al Ingersoll, “FW: Direct report from our Haiti headquarters,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 24, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/231071.
