Is Canada going to offer any help? Like DART

[DBA]

I don't remember too many US troops sandbagging next to me when the Red River barfed it's guts, or 50 miles of high tension wires fell down in Quebec...Just a thought, not looking for a bollocking here.

There were Americans helping in the rebuilding of the power distribution system. And it was more like 3,000 km of VHV lines, 400 km of HV lines and 1,500 VHV pylons were destroyed or needing repair. Not to mention 26,000 broken posts (the wooden poles),  4,500 transformers and 8,800 isolators needed to be replaced. That was in Quebec alone, the storm also brought down lines in Ontario and parts of the north eastern states.

Hydro workers from both Canada and the US have crossed the border on numerous times to help repair the damage from ice storms. For example the one in Rochester, NY on March 3, 1991.

 

[Gunner98]

The US Medical Corps has 192,000 people, Canada has 2,800.  I await their call for help!

Perhaps they will lend us some aircraft to move the DART!

 

[Kat Stevens]

There were Americans helping in the rebuilding of the power distribution system. And it was more like 3,000 km of VHV lines, 400 km of HV lines and 1,500 VHV pylons were destroyed or needing repair. Not to mention 26,000 broken posts (the wooden poles),  4,500 transformers and 8,800 isolators needed to be replaced. That was in Quebec alone, the storm also brought down lines in Ontario and parts of the north eastern states.

Hydro workers from both Canada and the US have crossed the border on numerous times to help repair the damage from ice storms. For example the one in Rochester, NY on March 3, 1991.

Sigh. Yes, I know all this. My brother is a firefighter in BC and went to NYC on his own dime to help out post 9-11.  My point was in reference to troops in particular, not Americans in General. Cross border cooperation has always been great at civilian agency level.  And I said 50 miles in the interest of brevity, didn't want to write a term paper.

 

[Armymedic]

The US Medical Corps has 192,000 people, Canada has 2,800.   I await their call for help!

Perhaps they will lend us some aircraft to move the DART!

Well techically we could drive down there...And take 1 Cdn Fd Hosp as well.

How many trucks does it take to move the complete FD hosp? Not for me, but for all those others who think its as easy as just getting into a bus and driving the 24-36 hours to the disaster zone.

edit to add:

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2005/09/01/pf-1196989.html

By MARIA McCLINTOCK, Parliamentary Bureau

CANADA has offered to supply the U.S. with troops, military engineers and water purification expertise to assist in relief efforts in devastated areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Gen. Rick Hillier spoke to his U.S. counterpart Gen. Richard B. Myers late yesterday and made the offer, confirmed Steve Jurgutis, spokesman for Defence Minister Bill Graham.

America's Health Human Services department also contacted the Canadian Public Health Agency yesterday and asked for an inventory of medical supplies and personnel that could be provided if needed.

But Canada has yet to receive a request for assistance, said Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.

"There may very well be things that they will need, whether in the short term or as the days go ahead. For example, clean water is at a premium now," McLellan told Sun Media last night.

McLellan called it an unfolding disaster of "enormous proportions."

"We are monitoring the situation very carefully ... we need to work closely with the United States so that we understand what they need the most, at the right time," she said.

'DIFFICULT TIME'

Prime Minister Paul Martin vowed Canada will provide any emergency help our U.S. neighbours need.

"During this most difficult time, Canada stands with you, and we are ready to provide whatever support you may require in the days, weeks and months ahead," he said.

Canadian Red Cross spokeswoman Suzanne Charest said relief workers will face some of the most difficult conditions ever.

"We are sending some of our most highly trained disaster response volunteers. It could be well over 100," said Charest, adding volunteers will begin leaving Canada as early as today.

"We know it's going to be a hardship posting. Conditions will be tough. They will be dealing with people who are grieving, who have faced an extraordinary amount of loss, so they have to be trained to deal with this sort of thing."

maria.mcclintock@tor.sunpub.com

 

[Armymedic]

Learned something on CNN..

(paraphrasing) US NG troops can work along side civil police as they are considered State troops under the state governors control and do not need special permissions to assist as Federal or active duty troops would need.

 

[George Wallace]

Here is an interesting site for satellite photos (Before/after):

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/new-orleans-imagery.htm

 

[Devlin]

Top Canadian general says military stands ready to help U.S. if asked at 13:51 on September 1, 2005, EST.

OTTAWA (CP) - Gen. Rick Hillier says the Canadian military is ready to respond immediately if the United States asks for help in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.


Hillier says he told U.S. ambassador David Wilkins that there are contingency plans. Although he says the Americans have most or all they need to help with recovery from the devastating hurricane, there may be things they need in addition.

Prime Minister Paul Martin told U.S. President George W. Bush by telephone as well that Canada will help in any way needed.

Hurricane Katrina hit the southern U.S. coast Monday and the resulting flooding has submerged 80 per cent of New Orleans, killing possibly thousands and leaving thousands more stranded.

http://www.940news.com/nouvelles.php?cat=23&id=90137

 

[Britney Spears]

I've been reading some of the on site blogs(Interdictor, etc) in NO and this is turning into a SH!TSTORM.

- Volunteers from the surrounding areas are being turned away by the authorities, after a lot of the rescue crafts have been taking small arms fire, presumably from looters.

- CNN, NBC newscrews are operating under the protection of PSD/PMC teams, their executives consider the area to be a WARZONE.  . (source:http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2005-09-01T061420Z_01_HO005371_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-KATRINA-DC.XML)

- Police, NG, helicopters taking small arms fire.

- A LOT of eye witness testimony to rape, murder, sometimes both. Armed robbery, carjackings are the norm.

Firefighters? Water purification? It sounds like they need the Marines and the 82nd ABN in there first. You guys who are heading down there, for god's sake be careful. I'd HATE to be down there unarmed.

 

[Infanteer]

Hobbes had it right - when law and order don't exist, life is nasty, brutish, short and cruel.

 

[Gunner98]

Well techically we could drive down there...And take 1 Cdn Fd Hosp as well.
How many trucks does it take to move the complete FD hosp? Not for me.

About 30 truck loads to move complete Fd Hosp- once you get it there we will have to be able to man it. After you take away pers going on standby with the DART, those going on BTE, we will need some augmentation.  Driving will take about 4 days. More likely a 30-bed ASC on 15 trucks or so.

USS Comfort provides 400 beds.

Other support may take 2 weeks by ship from West Coast.

Duration of commitment will become an issue as Roto 5 HSS training is scheduled to start in Nov 05.

 

[Britney Spears]

I'm not sure if there should be a more general Katrina thread, but here goes...

<a href=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-09-01-katrina-troops_x.htm>U.S. won't send Iraq troops(LA ARNG in Iraq) home to help with hurricane</a>

I'm not sure to what extent this is true, but I can't imagine what must be going through the minds of those troops, stuck in Iraq while their homes are flooded/looted and their families are at the mercy of Kalashnikov toting thugs.

 

[Armymedic]

There is a brigade of NG to redeploy from Iraq in 2 weeks as mentioned in the article.

CNN had interviews with a SSGT and a Capt from the unit on this aft. They are not going to be redeployed home early to assist. Mind you, I would not be too sure they would be much use in the effort as thier main focus would be to find out who and what they have left to come home to.

As for being overseas while a disaster is hitting home, there were a few 2 VP troops in Bosnia during the Red River Floods.

 

[Britney Spears]

As for being overseas while a disaster is hitting home, there were a few 2 VP troops in Bosnia during the Red River Floods.

Understood, but there are reports coming in of snipers shooting at hospitals, possibly to cover drug addicts searching for narcotics, to guys opening up with RPKs at the rescue choppers coming into the Superdome, to roving bands of looters with AKs hijacking aid trucks. Were the red river floods quite as serious? Even if half these reports are true, I'm not sure if I would be able to handle it......

 

[Armymedic]

obvious, great difference in scale.

I haven't heard about AKs and RPGs being fired, they (CNN) have reported alot of shootings and sniper activities.

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

i do not think it would be a good thing to send FD hosptial and equipment , too time comsuing and too large to set up and operate. It would be easier to send Doctors, nurses and medics to help man the hospital ship, local hospitals because the man power that is there now will be exhausted soon and need fresh shifts and fresh blood  working. No one wants to have a overly tired doctor working on them.

Combat engineers to help man the heavy  equipment, the army  can rent or lease cheaper then it would be drive or truck it there. Clerks to help with the in take of people needing help.
Helicopter pilots, they are flying a llot of UH 1 choppers there still, our guys could take some control there and assit in rescue flights

Drivers for the army  trucks and equipment,  lots  of those needed I would think.

Last time they  send a supply ship  with lumber and stuff, the sailors and engineers helped rebuild schools and shelters for the aged  because it was needed. 

they  do not need to bring the weapons and ammo i am sure the US would provide troops and fire power to protect the Canadian troops soit does not look like foreign army  in the States with weapons and stuff. there is lots Canada , the Canadian Forces and private people can do if they are asked but we have to be asked first , we cannot just go and set up a camp and invade the States.

 

[The Bread Guy]

At one level, we shouldn't be entirely surprised at the level of violence in NO - even though the tourism lit doesn't mention it, but even dry, the city is a VERY violent place.  Happy to get this confirmed by any medics reading, but I heard that the US Army Medic School at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio TX (great Military Medical Museum to take in, if you're by) sends its students on rotations to New Orleans emergency wards to learn how to deal with GSW & stab wounds.  Lose the cops, lose control, and you get what you had before, cubed...

Let's see if this sets anybody off:  is it uncharitable of me to hope, this early in, that when Paul Martin called Dubya today, the last thing he said to Mr. President was, "if you happen to need lotsa softwood to help rebuild, let's talk"?  We took almost all the planes after 9-11, we jumped with both feet early into Afghanistan, and we STILL can't sell wood in the States....  (I live in a part of the world that still, rightly or wrongly, relies on the wood industry to a large extent).

<<TONY>>

 

[Gunner98]

FFGH says, "i do not think it would be a good thing to send FD hosptial and equipment , too time comsuing and too large to set up and operate." 

This is not the Fd Hosp of old, surgery is open within 6 hours of arrival, 18 hours - the entire facility is functional. Facility requires 200 x 200 m. Self sufficient with water, electricity, and air conditioning.

 

[Wolfe]

A couple of hours ago i read in the news that the Canadian army is ready to deploy some 200 soldiers in New Orleans. I Can assure you i read this, i was surprised, unless the news did some mistake but i wonder.

 

[Gunner98]

DART = Approx. 200

 

[FredDaHead]

Source: www.stratfor.com
U.S.: Foreign Aid Will Be Accepted
September 02 2005 01 42  GMT

The U.S. State Department announced Sept. 1 that it will accept foreign aid in response to Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, "no offer that can help alleviate the suffering of the people in the afflicted area will be refused." Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States.

I guess that means DART (or other pers) could be heading out soon? Considering we're the closest (after Mexico) nation to offer aid, it'd make sense to have us send people first. But since when has US policy made sense?