At 430 in the morning on October 29, the National Operations Center (NOC) in Dallas was buzzing with a cocktail of calm, cool confidence mixed with traces of anxiousness and a lot of caffeine. Since Super Typhoon Yutu made landfall in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on October 24, our teams have been preparing for a response.
First, Team Rubicon sent a two-person reconnaissance team to CNMI to conduct damage assessments, meet with local officials, identify unmet needs, and determine how TR could plug-in to help impacted communities stabilize and recover.
Then came an official request for Team Rubicon to deploy an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) to Tinian and Saipan. That official request sent the energy of the organization through the roof. Not only were we going to get the chance to help those impacted by this devastating storm, but our help was being sought out. Mission Planning and Logistics were kicked into full gear. And, adding to the energy is the fact that this will be TR’s first medical operation since receiving World Health Organization (WHO) verification as a Type-1 Mobile Emergency Medical Team.
Now, with an operation order in hand, and our medical supplies, tech kits, tents, water purification equipment, and copious amounts of Meals Ready to Eat (affectionately known as MREs) packed, our Emergency Medical Team is completely self-sufficient and is stepping into the arena. We are pushing forward to Guam today on commercial airlines; and then on to Tinian, CNMI by way of military air transport.
You can tell by the demeanor and professionalism of this expeditionary outfit, combined with the world-class 24/7 support from TR’s NOC, that we are going to accomplish great things on this operation and significantly help the communities impacted by Super Typhoon Yutu stabilize and recover.
Stay tuned for updates and progress on this medical operation.
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