Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXVI, Number 5, 28 May 1941 — Serious Needs Confront Major Disaster Committee [ARTICLE]

Serious Needs Confront Major Disaster Committee

At a meeting on night at tjbe Hilo Srhool; a!l of tlio pen.nn»el for llie firal Mc(iical ĀiJ Statio<j Hilo except t!ie 60 litter bearer» and 3 uiolori;jf t cle voluilteeret3. ' TJie Medieal Aid Station belongs to the eiliaene and the community and sliould l>e supported by every one. To those who | volunteer for the litler bearer and motoreycle messenger service

there wili be a real opi>oitunity to serve the eojhtaunity. Litter bearers are a Tital factor in case of a major ?ifsftster and wili bo given fifst aid traihinp that will prove valuable in 1 ease of most any emergency. Lltter bearers shou!d be able-bo-jdied youug iuen uud arruugewenUi have beeu made so that tliey iuay i%'oluutpw either during the dtkj titue. :orthis eveulug or ilonday eveniug ibetweeu 7 aud S p.ni. with Miss Betty Wilaou at ilie Urewer <Jo. ofliee in Hiio. The Koard of Supervisors is passing an onlinanee creating a Major Disaster Plan wliieh will eover all the activities being uudertaken by the related medieal organizat(ons, as well as ail phases of community activit.v in case of a maJor disaster to Hilo and vicinity. j All phases of medicai activities iu an emergency are being piaaned, such as reserve medical suppiies,, nssignment of traine<l personnel, ar. ranging for hospital expansion or relocation, if present, faeilltles ure inadequate or destroyed and planntng inedical aid stations at strate- j |gic locations in Hilo and vicinity.! )This latter actlvity is the principal | |Hne of endeavor for Uie icumediate j preseat. One meUioal station isj iiow inanned with tlie exceptiou of j the litter bearers aud motorcycle j jnessengers and just as sooa as the i neeeBsary volunteers have si£ned i up this unlt will go into acUvej !tralnlng. ; The ptass?os for tniini»g will all he held afier reguUir \v<irking hours 80 tliat 110 one's work will be interfered with. Other statious on the Big Island will be etiuipped and trained as soon the first unit is < well trained and working smoothi>\ \ The personnel of a Medical Aid, Station will be as foiiows: 2 or physlcians, 2 dentists, 6 graduate >

nurses, 6 aides-female, 6 aids-male, 1 <4«rlt, 1 supp!.v «lerk, 1 eook, 1 dietician, 3' ambt»lance drivers, 3 amhulanee helpers, 64 litter bearers : and 3 motorcycle measengerg. t" Mr. Robert Moir of ttie Hilo |rsh«itttw4 of Ootnmerce Is actlng as | ]|a«on man and organizatlons or in- j dividua!s interested in any phase ] of this work are lnvited to contact i hlm or any of the organizatlons pre- j sently co-operatlng and thelr efforts ( wfll f>e directed lnto the proper j channels. * 'Phe pian is stta!lar to that belng used In Honolulu where already the training of 2500 voiunteers bas pro?ressed a long ways. The activity on the Big Island got under way following a conference on April 24th with Dr. C. E. Fronk, representing the Honolulu County Medieal Society and Captain B. A. Gaj represetiting the U. S. Army, the jexecutive committees of the Hawaīi |Coonty Nurses Associat!on, The ' Red Cross. The Hawaii County Beultai Sodety and the Hawaii County Medical Society and representatives «f the Hawaii County Board of Supervisors. All of these organizatlons hav« selected preparednese commit tees whieh are giving mueh of their titne to stndyinsr fhe problems involved and arrivlng at the best way of handllng any emergency that way ail». The Meilieal Soāety of this is!and has sent represeniatlvos to to take advantage of the thoi«rhf put heh!nd the program «n Oaho and to «w what they flnd to flt ia with the plan sulted ft>r the Big Island. Particular att«ition is ealled to the fact that ihle is a civic matter ;«nd *lt who v<aonteer surely i<ie»erve asd wlll reee!ve not oaly !valnah!e personal trainTng but be t rwiderlnp a ra!uabte servioe to the |entire oomman!ty. I For any fnrther !nfbrtnation res::trd!n,c voiur.ttH'rin.s: for duty j phone Mr. Moir at 2383 or Wilj son at 2194.