Get ready TAMPA - TIAL on standby for Haiti evacuees

TIA on standby for Haiti evacuees

Saturday, January 16, 2010
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Tampa International Airport is on standby to possibly help evacuees from Haiti, along with other Florida airports. How local emergency crews are preparingWatch Video

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Tampa International Airport is on standby to possibly help evacuees from Haiti, along with other Florida airports.

The airport called two emergency planning meetings Saturday, to run through procedures on how to process Haitians without identification.

Some factors that airport officials need to consider are the health of the evacuees, medical needs, and who may need connecting flights or assistance with finding a place to stay.

Groups and agencies involved in the meetings include airport operations, police, maintenance and support staff, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Tampa Fire Rescue, and the State of Florida Emergency Management Coordinator.

Tampa Fire Rescue reports that crews are prepared to coordinate efforts to move injured or sick evacuees to Bay area hospitals.

U.S. military operations have taken over the Port-au-Prince Airport.

Using military aircraft, air lifts are in the planning stages to remove evacuees in its race against time operation.

According to officials, there may only be a two hour advance notice of arriving flights containing evacuees.

At that time, the airport would need to be able to implement either triage mode or passenger processing mode.

[link to www.baynews9.com]