Delray Beach firefighters part of an 11 person search and rescue crew assembled by Real Estate "artist" and Delray Beach Resident Frank McKinney pull 3 and transport 1 from Haiti rubble.
Chief Ed Crelin, Lieutenant Steve Moews, Lieutenant Ed Beardsley and Firefighter Greg Tabeek returned on Sunday January 18th after assisting in pulling 3 earthquake victims from the rubble in Port Au Prince Haiti. The Delray Beach firefighters were part of an 11 person team assembled by Real Estate "artist," best selling author, and Delray Beach Resident Frank McKinney. Team members consisted of not only Delray Beach firefighters, but also members of both West Palm Beach and Davie Fire-Rescue along with military personnel stationed out of Colorado.
The team first arrived safely in Haiti just 48 hours after the earth quake and was immediately paired up the Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Spanish search and rescue teams. Aided with UN security, the team was able to begin search efforts almost immediately at sun up the next morning. Despite the destruction and sadness around the city, there were still many Haitian residents in need of assistance. Upon arriving at an apartment building where victims were reported still trapped and after continuous work for over 12 hours our team was able to assist removing a mother and daughter out from the rubble.
The following day brought more work for the already tired but determined team. After driving up and down the streets of Port Au Prince for several hours a search team from another country was in desperate need of a vehicle and driver for the victim they successfully removed from a housing complex. Frank McKinney immediately volunteered to transport the patient to the makeshift hospital at the airport. While en route to the hospital, medic crews from West Palm Beach Fire-Rescue and Colorado began treating the patient. When they arrived at the hospital the patient was able to speak and thank the crew for their efforts.
With the window closing on survivability 4 days after the earth quake the team was flagged down by a member of the humanitarian effort known as, "Doctors Without Borders." The doctor explained that their hospital was completely destroyed but a patient buried alive underneath the second story of the hospital was still in contact with them. With hand tools and hard work, our team was able to safely and successfully remove the victim in just under 3 hours.
Delray Beach Fire-Rescue was proud to be a part of the rescue effort. It was honor to serve and work side by side with search and rescue crews from all around the world. A special thank you must go out to Frank McKinney and his charity, Caring house project foundation (www.caringhouseprojectfoundation.com), for extending the invitation to accompany him in his rescue efforts. Your firefighters will continue to prepare for the worst while delivering the best.
All of the City of Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Fire Stations will be collecting donations for the American Red Cross to send to Haiti. For more information on how you can help go here.
