Disaster Response Through the Eyes of EDS Coordinator Trevor McLellan

For nearly 10 years, I have been a member of Humanity First Canada’s Disaster Response Team.  Humanity First (HF) is a non-government organization that provides emergency support in Canada and around the world.

With HF, I have been deployed to the Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyan; Houston Texas, after Hurricane Harvey; The Bahamas, for Hurricane Dorian; and most recently Madagascar after Tropical Cyclones Emnati and Batsirai.  Each one of these deployments is unique and provides great opportunity for learning and growth.

There is a bit of an adrenaline rush when I hear about an impending disaster somewhere in the world.  There is the sense of concern for the people in the path of a storm and I start to plan for a potential deployment.

This recent deployment to Madagascar was a bit different in that the world’s media did not report on the series of tropical cyclones that hit the island country in East Africa.  So, when the call came out for me to join an ‘advance team’, I was a bit surprised.

In the disaster business, we don’t always get much time to plan and pack and get ready to go, usually it is about 24 to 48 hours’ notice and this one was no different.  In all fairness, I did get an alert around February 20 about Tropical Cyclone Batsirai hitting the country and that there was a chance for deployment, but when Emnati struck on February 22, our deployment had to be delayed. Ultimately, my colleague, Brian and I were confirmed on February 23 for a February 25 departure.

There is always stress when you arrive at a disaster. This is true anywhere, however, there is added pressure when the population affected by the storms has been living for years with famine and poverty.

It is vital that our assessment is comprehensive, and our assistance is more long-term. There is an interesting paradox in Madagascar.  It is one of the most beautiful countries I have been to, with stunning mountains, grasslands and jungle, but there is also famine, storm devastation and poverty.

Our initial plan was to work with the Canadian federal government and the World Health Organization to set up mobile field hospitals in the Manakara and Farafangana regions in the southeast.  Unfortunately, there are a very limited number of flights in and out of Madagascar, so getting a team of 14 members, along with nearly 1800kg of supplies was impossible.  So, what can a team of two from Canada possibly do to help?

Since we know that no disaster runs as planned, we had to come up with a new one very quickly.  After a visit to the hospitals in Manakara and Farfangana, we decided the best way to help was to invest in significant repairs to their facilities.

The roof on the hospital in Manakara was severely damaged. It needed at least 800 sheets of steel roofing to get it back in decent shape.  So, let’s fix a roof!

We worked with the hospital administration, the Ministre de la Sante Publique in Madagascar, and other locals to begin the process of hiring local workers and buying local supplies to rebuild the roof.  By doing this, we invested in the hospital for years to come, we’ve provided jobs to local workers and supported local businesses.

The work I do overseas is a great learning tool for how to better do my work here at The Salvation Army in Ontario.

As an Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator for The Salvation Army Ontario Division, it is my job to ensure that EDS is nimble and ready to respond when called upon. While the locations are vastly different, the work is very similar – to help people in need.

Working in disaster relief is tiring, it’s stressful and it’s the most inspiring and rewarding work a person can do. This is true after typhoons or cyclones in The Philippines or Madagascar or here at home with wildfires or floods.  We meet people in the worst situations and we do our best to make their day a bit brighter.  We help by listening to their stories, or by treating their injuries, or by helping rebuild their communities.  It may not seem like much, but to a person who is in shock or is scared, seeing a friendly face who is there to help is a lifesaver.