Firefighter/EMT Bryant Kroh lends aid to a childs leg injury.

PA firefighters aid in Haitian relief

After Returning from Haiti, Port Angeles Firefighters share their experience

By: Jessica Eshom Hampton

Posted: 2/17/10

By Jessica Eshom Hampton

Five Port Angeles Firefighters landed in Haiti on the morning of January 25 to provide medical assistance to the recent earthquake victims. The 7.0M earthquake rocked Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, just 13 days prior to their arrival, so the destruction was still very obvious. They described it as "devastating." John Hall, firefighter and paramedic, Captain James Mason, Lt Kevin Denton, Mark Karjalainen, firefighter and paramedic and Bryant Kroh, firefighter and EMT spent 10 days volunteering alongside one doctor and several nurses assisting in medical relief efforts.

Originally the trip was planned to be paid for out of pocket by the firefighters, and some additional costs supported by Denton's family. That evolved into help from the other guys at the fire station, which then led to donations from the Independent Bible Church, where some of the men attend. Soon after, KONP Radio ran a quick blurb on air, which resulted in a flood of donations from the community. The same day the radio announcement ran one man came in with a check for $1,000. When the firefighters went home from work they had neighbors giving them donations and wishing them luck. Many businesses donated as well. Jim's Pharmacy and Wal-Mart donated antibiotics. "This is five local guys going there. That's something you can grab a hold of and know these guys are going to do something good with it," said Captain Mason. Even the plane ride from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Haiti was a donated flight on a private plane.

The team traveled daily from a tent city base in Port-au Prince to surrounding areas by way of one truck and three motorbikes. Crowds of people would follow behind them or come to them hoping for supplies. Once they announced over a loud speaker, "Medic", most people would then go about their business realizing the team had no food or water to distribute. Most of them were very polite about it. Only the ones needing medical care, or interested in watching would stay around.

They estimated 90-100 people were treated per day. The majority of injuries needing treatment were infections. Each had an opportunity to surgically debreed wounds, apply antibiotic ointment and re-bandage. The patient would then be issued a change of dressing and sent on their way. Other injuries included, fractures, scrapes, and serious infections, some to the extent of needing amputation.

Most people after the earthquake had been forced to live in tents. Up to a million were homeless. Of the buildings still standing, most had been damaged and were unsafe. Another reason people were afraid to re-inhabit their homes was the threat of aftershocks. "It was as if the whole city was living with PTSD," agreed the firefighters, "they would just sometimes stare off blankly."

One orphanage that was still standing was being used in the day but was not being slept in at night so if an aftershock hit the children would be able to evacuate quickly. Some families found abandoned cars or other materials with which to erect makeshift houses. There was no food, water or sanitation.

One of the first people the team met in a tent city was Pastor Solis. His church had been destroyed in the earthquake and the congregation was meeting in a large tent. They received the team well and invited Captain Mason to preach. He agreed to do so and later was informed that he had been elected chairman of the church. The church is very important to the community and the team has a plan to return to help rebuild it. On February 12, they met together to discuss how they could accomplish that goal.

They found reprieve from the hardships in the evenings sitting around making fun of each other, much like they do back home in the firehouse. They had educational classes in the evenings, to learn how to better help in their medical efforts. One night they had a stitching suture class. They practiced on t-shirts. That came in handy the next day when a security guard closed a gate on his hand and needed his finger stitched up.

The language barrier prevented much discussion with the people about how they felt. The firefighters saw people carrying funeral bouquets and building coffins. One man stopped them during their travels and begged them for help. His family had been killed and buried in their home during the earthquake and he wanted help removing them so they could be buried.

Their last assignment was to go to orphanages and assess their need for food and water. Outside Karafuu there is an orphanage, which is now a pile of rubble. 136 orphanages once resided there. 56 children were killed, and only 20 bodies could be removed from the mass of debris; 36 will probably remain buried there.

The children brought joy to the team. Almost at once upon their arrival, the children began climbing on them, wanting to play, and enjoying adult companionship. One nurse spent time cuddling with the children and counting toes and fingers. She was given the name "mama blanc" or white mother," from the children. A few children asked to be adopted and Karj felt a connection with one girl named pronounced, "Ozeeka." The children enjoyed smiling for the camera and asked for photos to be taken.

When the time came to leave, the team noticed changes from when they arrived. Streets were beginning to be cleared. In a city of two and a half million people they had only three pieces of heavy equipment to move the debris. They hauled the rubble out to open fields. Locals would then go to the fields and scavenge anything useful they could use to build homes.

Street vendors had resumed business, although prices were different than before the quake. Some transactions were made through money and trade. The town was making an attempt to come back to life.