Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

From: <pennbo@bbv.net>
> Here is a good site that shows before and after pics of the hard hit
> areas. How do they even know where to start in a relief effort of this
> magnitude? Makes the flooding we are dealing with seem tame by
> comparison.
> http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/

Logistics has been a massive issue for tsunami rescue and relief operations. 
So many countries impacted. So many countries responding. So many impacted 
areas that aren't easily accessible. Communications unreliable. The list 
goes on.

Some people were complaining about how long it took to respond, etc. But 
behind the scenes different responding countries need to coordinate who goes 
where, who sends what, when and how. Without an assessment you don't even 
know what the needs are for immediate, short and longer term so only the 
obvious goes out first. And who is in charge when responders and supplies 
arrive? This has been a moving target. Or perhaps better described as moving 
targets, in the plural. An international logistics nightmare. And that 
doesn't even mention all the politics involved or safety issues related to 
responding to some regions where there is potential for rebels and gun 
battles.

But a disaster is still a disaster, and So CA and other areas are getting 
hammered. Luckily the logistics for Mutual Aid response are much easier 
because the coordination methods and steps for escalation are already in 
place. For example, American Red Cross has already depleted the more 
temporary state resources and has expanded to national level of response for 
longer term relief personnel for So CA. Same kind of pre-planned Mutual Aid 
for the catastrophic train wreck with the chlorine spill - if that wasn't 
pre-planned the response for rescue and relief personnel wouldn't be near as 
fast or effective to support the locals.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare SAR - Hasty Team ICP Team
www.ceoates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT
www.tk-cert.org