Hurricane Dorian was one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall in the Atlantic and it left behind widespread destruction and devastation on the Bahamas Islands. After deploying a three person recon team to coordinate with local and national officials, Team Rubicon has formally launched a large-scale response operation in the Bahamas. To have as much impact in affected communities as possible, our operation is taking a two-pronged approach – pulling both from our mobile medical and traditional core capabilities
In order to support immediate and emerging healthcare needs, we have our WHO-verified Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Type 1 Mobile on Great Abaco Island. This team is made up of 16 Team Rubicon Greyshirts who have already answered two rapid response calls from the EMT Coordination Cell to treat patients. Their goals are to work with the Bahamas Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Pan-American Health Organization to help stabilize the situation, provide mobile medical care in hard-to-reach and remote areas, and help to monitor for and prevent disease outbreaks.
Our medical team providing care to a young survivor on Great Abaco following the impact of Hurricane Dorian.
In addition to our medical teams, there is a team of eight that will provide sawyer services to communities after landing in the Bahamas today. Removing debris in and around communities is a crucial part of helping survivors get access to the aid they need following natural disasters. Team Rubicon plans to deploy additional teams of volunteers to provide expedient home repairs, flooded home muck-outs, roof tarping, and heavy equipment operations as our teams gain more access to the islands and can get additional equipment there.
“Our teams are moving into the Bahamas aggressively in order to reach survivors of Dorian as quickly as possible,” said Jake Wood, Co-Founder and CEO. “It’s important to note that this is a broad effort spanning dozens of partners, and we look forward to coordinating efforts with all of them. And, we ask that our fellow Americans do the right thing and help fuel efforts to assist our neighbors in the Bahamas with financial support.”
Great Abaco Island
Team Rubicon’s National Operations Center (NOC) is holding regular planning calls and working around the clock to activate members across the entire country to ensure continued support for the operations in the Bahamas, and for our teams that are stateside providing relief to the Colorado River Indian Tribes as well as to residents in Willow, Alaska; and La Veta, Colorado.
Mother Nature has been coming at us fast and furiously this storm season. Regardless of the size of the storm, Team Rubicon stands ready to assist and provide relief to communities impacted by disasters and humanitarian crises in the U.S. and around the world – for as long as we’re needed.
HELP US INCREASE OUR IMPACT:
- Make an online donation to support our operations.
- Sign up to volunteer. Then get trained up so you’re ready to deploy.
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