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News

Photo: L.A. County Rescuing a Woman in Haiti

By  Zach Behrens
Published Jan 17, 2010 11:00 PM
lacounty-haiti.jpg
In this Jan. 17, 2010 photo released by the U.S. Navy, members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team rescue a Haitian woman from a collapsed building in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Justin Stumberg)
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The team of Los Angeles County search & rescue specialists deployed to Haiti have already rescued a handful of people from the rubble. The trip has been an opportunity for L.A. County to catch up with the LAFD in entering Web 2.0 with a new Twitter account and Facebook page, which has been mostly keeping residents up to date with the rescue efforts, but also some local information bout the current rainstorm.

Here are a few dramatic Facebook updates, demonstrating what our firefighters are doing:

  • Mon at 9am: This 3-story apartment complex had been the site that USA-2 Blue Squad was engaged upon last night and from which they were also able to rescue two sisters (19 and 20 years-old) prior to this last 31 year-old victim... The last victim was found after the two rescued sisters reported hearing sounds of verbal communication below them, deep beneath the rubble. This prompted USA-2 Blue Squad rescuers to continue excavating only to find the victim 15 feet below their initial rescues.
  • Sun at 10:27pm: USA-2 Red Squad conducted the second rescue which involved a 50 year-old woman that had been trapped within the remains of a collapsed 2-story bank. Upon extrication, the victim appeared very dehydrated but with only slight injuries to her hands.
  • Sun at 1:30pm: USA-2 Blue Squad is now responding to another site, in which a by-stander has reported hearing verbal communication from within the collapsed structure.
  • Sun at 1:27pm: USA-2 Blue Squad has successfully rescued the entrapped 30 year-old female from the collapsed hotel site. The victim was awake and talking as she was transported to the hospital.
  • Sun at 12:13pm: As of 12:30 local-time, USA-2 Blue Squad has been engaged in rescue on a 3 story pancake collapsed hotel building in which a 30 year-old female is currently trapped from the waist down. The squad was initially flagged down by a UN member.
  • Sat at 9:56pm: Despite over 5 hours of aggressive rescue efforts, USA-2 Blue Squad was unable to affect a successful rescue at the day care site. Following nearly 2 hours of no-response within the limited access of the structural remains, and no further potential detection of life by canine units; the rescue efforts were called off.
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