Haiti - We Were There
Saving A Life - Paramedic Marco Girao of the New York Fire Department and a member of Local 3621 (DC 37), treats a survivor who was rescued from a collapsed building.
Saving A Life - Paramedic Marco Girao of the New York Fire Department and a member of Local 3621 (DC 37), treats a survivor who was rescued from a collapsed building. (Photo credit: Ian Swords)
International News
When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, causing massive death and destruction, millions of Americans poured money, relief goods and medical supplies into the already-struggling nation.
Joining other unions across the country who pitched in following the disaster, AFSCME International made an initial donation of $25,000 to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center’s Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers Fund. AFSCME councils and affiliates also contributed to agencies like the Red Cross, collected clothing and canned goods, and assembled health care kits.
Members of AFSCME also responded in person. Lt. Ian Swords, a paramedic with the New York Fire Department (NYFD) and a member of Local 3621 (DC 37), was among 80 firefighters and EMTs who deployed to Port-Au-Prince four days after the earthquake. He and three other EMTs from Local 3621 and Local 2507 spent eight days searching rubble. By day four, the team had rescued six survivors, including an 8-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister, who were pulled from the ruins of a collapsed building.
A 14-year veteran with the NYFD, Swords rescued 9/11 victims at Ground Zero. “But the devastation in Haiti was far worse than I could ever imagine,” he admits. “I’m just glad I was able to use what I’ve trained for and make a difference.”
Engineers employed by the New York City Department of Design and Construction started deploying in March to provide much-needed technical assistance. These members of Local 375 have been undergoing “Post-Earthquake Building Damage” training to prepare for the trip. Even if they remain standing, a lot of buildings in Haiti are not safe. The engineers’ first step is assessing structural faults, making recommendations and ensuring that residents can safely return to their homes. The local is recruiting more than 100 engineers from different city agencies, rotating them into Haiti for two weeks at a time.
Nurses from United Nurses Associations of California (UNAC/UHCP) volunteered on their own through other agencies to help staff the hospitals there. Meanwhile, the union has donated $15,000 to Doctors Without Borders, which had been delivering medical services in Haiti prior to the earthquake. “We know that our contribution means that needed resources — like antibiotics and disinfectants — will get directly to victims sooner rather than later and save countless lives,” says Kathy Sackman, UNAC/UHCP president and also an International vice president.
In Florida, state employees from the Department of Children and Families are processing Haitian orphans destined for adoptive families and helping oversee medical care for medical evacuees. Monica O’Neal, Local 3076 (Council 79) president, says her members have been busy setting up hotlines, helping with vaccinations for aid workers and handing out gifts to children when they arrive at Miami International Airport.
