The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

7 · Thursday, January 21, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Halton paramedics to help Hatian earthquake victims By Christina Commisso METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Ten Halton paramedics armed with $30,000 in supplies are preparing for a weeklong stay in Haiti where they'll treat scores of Haitians desperately awaiting medical attention. Guelph-based Feed the Children Canada (FTC) began making arrangements for a medical team to fly to Haiti last week following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that leveled the country's capital Port-auPrince. Approximately 70,000 bodies have been recovered from the rubble, 250,000 Haitians are injured and 1.5 million left homeless. An invitation to join the medical mission was extended to Halton EMS, where the deadly quake hit close to home. Halton paramedic Grant Rumford has been in Haiti with his family since September, stationed at a medical centre at Mission of Hope in Titanyen. For the last week, Rumford, a Burlington resident, has worked around the clock to treat scores of Haitians desperate for medical attention. His wife Sandy described the injuries as "very serious." "Mostly crush injuries, head injuries, internal bleeding, broken limbs and lacerations," Sandy wrote in an e-mail. "They're not just impoverished, what they're wearing is all they own," said Halton paramedic Glen Canavan who will be flying to Haiti yesterday. Canavan has been on numerous medical missions co-ordinated through FTC, some with Rumford, taking him to Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. "Normally on these missions, we see about 800 needy people daily. In Haiti, we won't see the needy, we'll see the injured." Canavan, a north Hamilton resident who has worked in Halton Region since 2000, says he expects the team to undertake advanced first aid treatment in Haiti. "We have a very good mix of people going. Some are greatly experienced and some just have a few years of experience, but their hearts are all in the right place." Along with Canavan, Brian Franks, Ian Sudlow, Scott Kubacki, Olena Lytosh, Ian Manson, Joe Bowers, Robin Barrie, Peter McMurrough and Christine Barber, all Halton paramedics, will be working in one of two medical centres in Haiti. According to FTC CEO Cliff Cline, the paramedics are paying their way to Haiti and, thanks to an outpouring of community support, the organization is sending $30,000 worth of medical supplies including IV, pain killers, antibiotics and gauze. "We have more (supplies) than we can possibly take, the issue is how are we going to get them there," explained Cline, who fears the medical centres FTC partners with in Haiti has already run out of supplies. The medical team, consisting of the paramedics, two doctors and two logistics personnel, was scheduled to fly out of Montreal yesterday on a plane operated by the Canadian International Development Agency. FTC prepared a container full of supplies for Haitians, which the organization hopes to ship soon. Cline said once FTC establishes a safe and reliable route into Haiti, the organization will continue to send medical teams and supplies. Hundreds of planes are trying to land at Port-au-Prince's small airport, which consists of one tarmac, one runway and one ramp for all the aircrafts. This has hampered relief and rescue efforts. "It's the great big black cloud," said Canavan of trying to get into Haiti. While his family is worried about dangers in Haiti, Canavan said they are comforted knowing Grant Rumford and his family remain in the country. "Grant's a great paramedic and he's an excellent family man. If he saw it was unsafe for his family, he wouldn't be there." JESSICA LOVELL / METROLAND MEDIA WEST READY TO GO: Forced to repack her bag due to weight restrictions, Halton paramedic Olena Lytosh makes sure to include the essentials. She joins a group of paramedics and doctors travelling to Haiti to provide skilled medical care to victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake. Think about Mondays Taxi 58 Services 416.347.5362 1.888.468.5989 airport trip on Monday and receive Pre-book your a $5 saving Limited space available Offer valid until March 31 2010 valid for airport only