“Exciting things are happening in Haiti right now. There is a renewed sense of hope amongst the population and a strong commitment to build a better Haiti. Ask a newly recruited Haitian Policeman or EMT “Why are you here?” and the answer will almost always be “I am here to build a better Haiti, I am here for my country!” There is a large community of humanitarians, missionaries and nation builders from a variety of countries working in Haiti, assisting local officials and organizations. Things are getting better – not there yet – but getting better. Be a part of this exciting movement to rebuild a better Haiti. Volunteer with an organization if you can, and support these efforts through donations when you can.”
“Although significant rebuilding and improvements been accomplished since the devastating 2010 earthquake, the country’s infrastructure is still impaired. Haiti remains at risk to tropical weather, including hurricanes and tropical storms. Flooding and landslides remain a significant problem. Haiti remains vulnerable to earthquakes. Current emergency response capabilities throughout the country remain inadequate or non-existent due to a lack of training and funding.”
In late summer of 2012, NORTHSTAR instructors will provide critical and much needed training in the areas of emergency management, emergency medicine, and community emergency response in Haiti.
The training is provided to both Haitian emergency response professionals and volunteers and builds upon the foundation created by other organizations who have operated in Haiti, such as EMPACT NW, Ayaitian Rezo Medikal (Haitian Medical Network), and the
Montgomery County, MD Community Emergency Response Team (MC-CERT).
The emergency management training is designed for Haitian civil defense and other emergency response professionals. It includes subjects such as how to set up incident command systems and manage disasters and other emergencies.
The team will train Haitian medics and EMT’s to function as advance practice independent and remote duty medics, providing much needed services to local hospitals, agencies, and rural areas. This is very intensive training in basic field medicine, minor surgery, and orthopedics.
We will also provide training in VERT, which is Village Emergency Response Training, our international version of the successful CERT program developed by FEMA for the United States. This program provides training in basic first aid, damage assessment, organized response methods, and light urban search and rescue for local citizens who can respond to emergencies and disasters, and are often the first and only responders in the early phases of a major disaster.
OUR 2012 MISSION