Canada Read to Help (ok, LET them!)

[katty]

more at:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050831_katrina_template_050831?s_name=&no_ads=

B.C. urban rescue team headed to Louisiana
CTV.ca News Staff

A specialized urban search and rescue team from Vancouver will be joining the rescue efforts in Louisiana in the wake of hurricane Katrina.

B.C. Solicitor General John Les said the province decided to send Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) after officials in Louisiana asked for help.

"We're the first non-U.S.-based team to be requested," said Les. "They're going to be helping as many people as they can."

CTV Vancouver has learned that the team will board a plane Wednesday night heading to Lafayette, Louisiana, where local authorities will direct them to devastated areas.

Tim Armstrong, USAR's task force leader, said he's spoken with Louisiana authorities.

"The last conversation that I had with them, they're in a bit of a crisis management mode trying to figure out where the need for teams is, and where the resources are going to be best used," he said.

The 45- person team -- which was dispatched to Southeast Asia after the Boxing Day tsunami -- is equipped to provide emergency room doctors, building engineers and swift water rescue personnel.

Earlier Wednesday, Canadian officials said they're prepared to send whatever type of aid the U.S. needs.

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. I heard on CBC last night

the Canadian Red Cross is waiting...waiting...but they have to be asked, for some reason, and nobody is asking. Your leaders at work again.

http://www.designforacause.com/ (Profits from this site go to the Red Cross)

[iverglas]

6. the Canadian Red Cross

They're gearing up -- the spokesperson said that they expect they will take over from exhausted US Red Cross workers in the weeks to come.

The Mennonite relief committee people in Canada are also waiting for their US counterparts to organize a base camp, and are then heading down.

[Maple]

2. Not allowed to

"On tonight's news, CTV (Canadian TV) said that support was offered from Canada. Planes are ready to load with food and medical supplies and a system called "DART" which can provide fresh water and medical supplies is standing by. Department of Homeland Security as well as other U.S. agencies were contacted by the Canadian government requesting permission to provide help. Despite this contact, Canada has not been allowed to fly supplies and personnel to the areas hit by Katrina. So, everything here is grounded. Prime Minister Paul Martin is reportedly trying to speak to President Bush tonight or tomorrow to ask him why the U.S. federal government will not allow aid from Canada into Louisiana and Mississippi. That said, the Canadian Red Cross is reportedly allowed into the area.

Canadian agencies are saying that foreign aid is probably not being permitted into Louisiana and Mississippi because of "mass confusion" at the U.S. federal level in the wake of the storm."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/31/235829/261

[NewWaveChick1981]

3. WTF???

This is the time to say, "Screw Homeland Security. Let's help our fellow Americans survive." Instead, they're not being allowed to enter the US?

Damn, I'm moving to Canada. :mad:

[nine23]

7. The Canadian Red Cross...

...and the American Red Cross have a "mutual response" agreement; they act "as one" when it comes to North American situations, disasters, etc.

This probably explains why they've been allowed in, and should explain why the Red Cross is one of the best bets for Canadian cash donations, ie. they're already there.

All other aid offers are still on hold...

[NorthernSpy]

4. yes, PLEASE come and help!

We need you! Ignore that clown in the Whitehouse -- he's nobody.

We DO need help. If we didn't, this wouldn't be happening. The government has money, but they don't like to spend it on us.

There are people in New Orleans who will die soon if they can't get supplies. Please airdrop some supplies. Our own government hasn't done that, and maybe doesn't intend to.

[Maple]

5. well I doubt you need

a massive shoot-up at your border right now, cuz we'd have to fight to get through.

[Melodybe]

8. kick

[mike923]

9. Until the water is gone...

there isn't going to be a stable site to set up a distribution site that will safely and fairly get to the victims the supplies they need.

[HEyHEY]

11. Yeah, but Dart is trained to

work in those conditions

[HEyHEY]

10. We gotta send DART too

[progressivebydesign]

12. Where are the customary pledges of help from other countries?

I haven't seen any tv in the past few days.. but shouldn't there be tons of offers of aid from all over the world? Like with the tsunami?

[NorthernSpy]

13. I know that Russia, France, and Venezuela have made offers

And I believe Switzerland as well.

There may well be others.

[daleo]

14. Lots of countries have offered help.

But Bush would rather see poor people drown than submit his pride to the indignity of accepting help from foreigners.

[Spazito]

16. Countries all over the world have offered assistance and they

have been told NO!

Here is, finally, an article in the mainstream media about it:

Aid offers pour in from around the globe

Boats, aircraft, tents, blankets, generators, cash assistance and medical teams have been offered to the U.S. government in Washington or in embassies overseas.

Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States, the spokesman said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9161198/

In the same article, please NOTE bush's response:

Still, Bush told ABC-TV: “I’m not expecting much from foreign nations because we hadn’t asked for it. I do expect a lot of sympathy and perhaps some will send cash dollars. But this country’s going to rise up and take care of it.”

“You know,” he said, “we would love help, but we’re going to take care of our own business as well, and there’s no doubt in my mind we’ll succeed. And there’s no doubt in my mind, as I sit here talking to you, that New Orleans is going to rise up again as a great city.”

[iverglas]

20. the question might be: why do you ask?

If you "haven't seen any tv in the past few days", why would you expect to know what's going on in the world? Perhaps you read newspapers or listen to radio ... who knows? Perhaps your not having heard that something has happened is a good basis for implying that it hasn't ...

You apparently don't read DU before plonking down a post, though.

There are several threads in LBN about Canada's offers of help, alone. Oh look ... you're in one of those threads.

If you look -- not too far, probably still on the first page of LBN -- you'll find threads about offers of assistance that have come from Venezuela, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Russia ... oh yeah, and Canada, including several provinces of Canada individually, including the province of BC which has already sent down its heavy search & rescue team, at the direct request of the Governor of Louisiana.

It's reasonable for other countries to offer logistical/transportation expertise and personnel and equipment, I'd say -- and maybe things like Canada's emergency drug stockpile ... which our Health Minister has directed our health bureaucrats to make available as soon as it's requested.

I don't think actual food and water are in such short supply in the US, or even in neighbouring parts of the southern US itself, that they need to be airlifted in from foreign parts, though.

What you probably need to be asking is why any of the assistance that has been offered hasn't been delivered. Of course, you'd have to put that question to that Bush guy.

So, any other questions?

If so, you can always look for answers here:

Canada's Martin calls Bush, offers Katrina help
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1743595

France offers aid to hurricane-hit US
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1742562&mesg_id=1742562

B.C. urban rescue team headed to Louisiana
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1743140

Canadian leaders, relief agencies stand by to help U.S. after Katrina
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1741863

In that thread, something I hadn't seen yet:
"A crew of 10 hydro-line workers from Chatham-Kent Hydro in Ontario was on its way to help restore power to homes and businesses."
Chatham is a small city in southern Ontario -- actually a terminus of the Underground Railway over a century ago. Nice symbolism.

STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1738511&mesg_id=1738511

Russia Ready to Send Rescuers to Katrina Disaster Area
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1741002&mesg_id=1741002

... just the ones I've seen.

[CHIMO]

15. Canadian Forces on standby to help U.S. aid efforts: Hillier

Gen. Hillier said he notified his American counterparts that Canada was prepared to offer whatever assistance was needed. He also noted that the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which was deployed in the Asian tsunami earlier this year, was put on a one-hour notice in Kingston, Ont.

“They have but to ask and we in the Canadian Forces would have it rolling or sailing or flying southward as quickly as possible,” he told reporters Thursday.

Canada offered to transport goods in and out of the devastated region using Hercules aircrafts and helicopters. Gen. Hillier also offered electrical generators and drawing from experience in other disasters, like last year's tsunami, he said Canada was also prepared to establish water purification centres in the region.

Canada offered small boats and diving teams to help recover bodies as well, he said

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050901.wkatrinaaid0901/BNStory/National/

For those unfamiliar with DART here is some of the work that they did recently.

DART Prepares to Return to Canada
Over the last month, the DART has attended to 55-hundred patients, purified three million litres of water and ferried more than 50-thousand stranded locals across rivers.

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=25013

This work was in Sri Lanka re the recent tsunami that they had.
Hopefully all aid will be utilized ASAP.

[HEyHEY]

17. FEMA requests fire fighters from Canada

THE U-S FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY IS ASKING FOR HELP FROM CANADIAN FIREFIGHTERS TO HEAD SOUTH TO THE FLOOD-RAVAGED U-S STATES AND SEVERAL MEMBERS FROM THE NORTH SHORE ARE EXPRESSING INTEREST.
THE FEMA REQUEST ASKS FOR 1-THOUSAND TEAMS OF TWO FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS EACH, WHO PREFERABLY KNOW EACH OTHER.
THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE BEING ASKED TO HELP FOR 30 DAYS AND BE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING MANUAL JOBS ALONG WITH BASIC FIRST AID IN WHAT ARE BEING CALLED OSTERE CONDITIONS WITH NO CREATURE COMFORTS.
THE FIREFIGHTERS WOULD REPORT FOR DUTY IN ATLANTA AND FROM THERE WOULD BE DISPATCHED TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.
FEMA WOULD REIMBURSE THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THE FIREFIGHTERS WORK.
NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT FIRE SPOKESPERSON TERRY ABRAHAM SAYS A NUMBER OF HIS MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED.
AS WELL, WEST VANCOUVER FIRE PREVENTION OFFICER CAPTAIN MARTIN ERNST SAYS HE TOO MAY DECIDE TO GO.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Spazito]

21. This makes NO sense to me!

They are asking for firefighters with FIRE FIGHTING skills to do work other than what they are trained for?

THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE BEING ASKED TO HELP FOR 30 DAYS AND BE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING MANUAL JOBS ALONG WITH BASIC FIRST AID IN WHAT ARE BEING CALLED OSTERE CONDITIONS WITH NO CREATURE COMFORTS.

This is nuts, imo! Our firefighters will do us proud, I have no doubt, but why not ask for other skills more suited to this horrible tragedy.

[iverglas]

22. if you think about it

-- they want teams of two experienced, skilled people who have worked together already in rescue operations that involve danger and hardship. The "manual jobs" might be things like breaking holes in roofs to look for people. It sounds like they've figured out that this is what they need to do for the search & rescue work that remains -- have large numbers of people with the necessary training and capacity for the work -- and probably for recovery work after that. Firefighters fit that bill better than most.

[Spazito]

23. I hope you are right, I see it more as a search and recovery operation

sadly, if that is, indeed, their mission, given they are requested for 3o days.

[LifeDuringWartime]

18. so what happens if they come anyway?

would ** invade ottawa?

[CHIMO]

19. They Probably

Wouldn't be allowed across the border.

Passports, pears and gatekeepers
You don't have to fit a racial profile to run afoul of U.S. customs officials, Jon Mendelsohn discovered

To some this may be passé. But to white Canadian boys, it's still new. So bear with me.

I was at Pearson International recently en route to New York City. I had my passport, aware that soon enough we would no longer be permitted to enter the country without one. I waited in the snaking line of U.S. customs control the requisite 40 minutes.

The director of traffic, the man in a blue blazer at the front of the line, sent me to booth number five when it became free. It was manned by a woman no older than 30. I thought this would be to my advantage. I figured it would be better than dealing with a man. Angry men are generally less susceptible to male charm, you see.

Unfortunately, my customs officer was a woman who'd been angry many years before she met me. There was no charming her. I was doomed before I started.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1125526231592&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

Plus they would need to coordinate their efforts with someone there.