HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 16, 2010
Updated: 03:40 pm
Haitian evacuees may soon be flying into Tampa International Airport.
TIA, along with other Florida airports, has been put on "stand-by" alert to receive the evacuees as part of a massive effort to help the earthquake-ravaged nation, according to airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan.
Airport officials anticipate only a two-hour advance notice of aircraft arrival before being able to implement operating procedures - triage mode or passenger processing mode.
Evacuees may be healthy or in need of medical attention, she said in a media release. And some Haitians may have friends or family in U.S. and need connecting air service or may need assistance and a place to stay.
Officials have already called two emergency meetings today to plan on how to process Haitian evacuees. Some may be Haitian-Americans and some may be Haitians without identification. Airport operations, police, maintenance and support staff, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Tampa Fire Rescue and State of Florida Emergency Management Coordinator all attended today's meetings.
MacDill Air Force Base Air Mobility Command, FAA Air Traffic Control, TPA Air Carriers and other law enforcement agencies will also be involved.
Tampa Fire Rescue officials say that, while this plan might not even be put into place, they are ready.
Tampa Fire Rescue is prepared to coordinate efforts to move injured or sick evacuees to Bay Area hospitals, according to a media release. TFR would work with Hillsborough County Emergency Management and other EMS providers in the Bay Area to assure a smooth transition.
If sick or injured evacuees do arrive in Tampa, officials would use a system similar to what was used on Labor Day weekend 2005 to aide Hurricane Katrina evacuees, according to Tampa Fire Rescue.
Stay with TBO.com for updates.
