MRC Summit Keynote Speech

The Keynote speech at the 2010 Healthcare Preparedness and MRC Summit last week was delivered by Nate Leishman, Manager of LDS Humanitarian Emergency Response. Mr. Leishman provided a summary of the initial response efforts in Haiti after the earthquake. Take home “lessons learned” messages include the following:

• Communications are always key. Come prepared with your own communication equipment and work with locals to bolster communication abilities.
• Collaborate. This includes collaboration with partner agencies and even those who are victims of the disaster. Local knowledge of the area can be very helpful.
• Complete training beforehand. Prepared and trained volunteers save a lot of time during the response phase.

Other insights from Mr. Leishman’s presentation included home ownership and construction in Haiti. Only 5% of Haitians own land. The remaining residents rent or are squatters. The low number of land owners greatly contributes to the large ongoing number of displaced people. Additionally, the majority of structures in Haiti are made out of cinder block or cement, and the quality of these building materials is less than what you would see here in the United States.

Finally, Mr. Leishman reminded the audience that FEMA models have indicated a 7.2 earthquake along the Wasatch Front could still result in as many as 3,000-5,000 deaths, thus the importance for us to take emergency preparedness seriously.

The Davis County MRC thanks Mr. Leishman for taking time to share his story with MRC volunteers in Utah.