The International Disaster Response and Relief Command; A Proposal Part 1

This disaster in Haiti begs one to ask, why isn't there a disaster co-ordinator? Why can't they set up a command with all the technology and people on the ground gathering informations and sending it back to a central command center? Why can't they keep track of all the relief supplies entering the the country so it can be rapidly distributed when and where it's needed the most?


Well, there could be! But it has to be set up beforehand and be on the ready to be deployed upon first reports of a disaster. And it has to be massive, which would be costly. Who would be willing to committ such massive funding to build a disaster relief organzation that might never be needed on the scale of the Haiti disaster? Perhaps the same ones who would be willing to committ billions of dollars on weapons that will never be used? The cost of such an endevor would be pocket change compared to the amount all the contributing countries spend on military. Regional commands could be sized to deal with regional disasters. Only the resources of one regional disaster relief command would be needed for the typical regional disaster. This would ensure that there is help in close proximty to any area to assure that the first responders will get to the scene as quickly as possible. If the disaster is too big for the regional command to handle, assistance from other regions could be put in the air and out to sea on a moments notice, reducing the delay in getting aid to the scene and avoiding unecessary deaths.

An international disaster relief organization would also be responsible for determining long term needs and coordinating the implimentation of programs to fill those needs.

Agreements need to be in place to expidite the deployment of assistance across international borders.

In large disasters like Katrina and Haiti, the US Miltary has been called into action for logistics and coordination. They have the equipment, the experience and the command structure to undertake such large scale efforts. But there are always some reservations with getting the miltary involved. Even Hurricane Katrina had complications regarding getting the miltary involved. For legal reasons The President couldn't order the military in Louisiana without a request from the Governor. Nor can the military have on hand and on call all the supplies and specialist that would be needed for a disaster response.

 A none military organization would have been less constrained in its response and would have had choppers in the air and boots on the ground much sooner. Equiped with the same logistical tools as the military, a none military organization could be just as effective at getting the job done, without the hassels and political implications of using military forces.

So what kind of tools does it need?

First and foremost, the same logistical capability as the military...ships, helicopters, airplanes ready to be on their way loaded with supplies within hours.

An aircraft carrier ,loaded with helicopters instead of fighter jets has steamed into the harbor in Haiti to provide a platform to launch relief efforts.A few years back, the aircraft carrier JFK was in Boston for it's final trip before being decommisioned. Instead of being decommissioned, such a carrier could be repurposed as a disatster relief ship. Beside carrying aircraft that would be used in a disaster, it could also carry many many tons of relief supplies, many thousand of personnel and could contain a large hospital for carring for victims. It could even outfitted with housing facilites to provide temporary shelter to people whose homes have been destroyed. Helicopters planes and boats could shuttle victims to and from the ship or if possible it could be docked for direct access to land. It's runway deck could be used to recieve additional aid in situations where there is not a usable runway in the vacinity. It's onboard power generators could provide emergency electricity when the localized power generation capabiity has been crippled.

The disaster relief command would have to have a fleet of C130 airplanes and trained crews who would drop into the disaster zone and then receive airdrops of relief supplies and coordinate distribution of supplies.

Other teams would be equiped with heavy equipment, technology and trained personnel to engage in rescue operation along with the means of getting them all into the disaster zone and onto the ground, by airdrop if necessary.