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China Earthquake May 2008Team Leaders ReportAll times in this report are local (Hong Kong is 8 hours ahead of GMT). Most times are approximate as notes were often written up some time after the events and are therefore only to be used as a guide. Team List: 12th May0645: In the first 24hrs following the earthquake, IRC monitored the Virtual OSOCC, the media and internet for information. Contact was made with DFID to ascertain what, if anything, the UK government would be doing as far as response to the rescue situation. It was not anticipated that any action would be undertaken, mostly due to the lack of an official request for help from the Chinese Government. Contact with other rescue teams and organisations was also set up but no simple route for visas or attendance was identified. One possible way forward was to join up with an international team from Canada and America as they felt confident that they could obtain the required clearance. 13th May0900 (approx): Phone call received from Gavin, an ex pat business man in Hong Kong to say that visas are available from Hong Kong into the disaster zone. If we can get to Hong Kong, he can facilitate matters from there. This information was discussed by the Operational Committee and a decision was taken that if all the pieces could be brought together then it would be worth trying this option. It was from the start appreciated that not all the boxes were ticked which would ensure an acceptable outcome to this mission but, as time was running out and due to the distance involved, it was agreed to mount the mission. British Airways were contacted for advice on travel. Once all the options and times were looked at, the best route forward was a team of 10 travelling with only location equipment and a minimum of kit to survive in the field. The maximum weight including all personal allowances must not exceed 900kg. This information and the flight time of 2215hrs was then looked at by the Operational Committee and agreed that this represented the only way forward. British Airways agreed to the flight and asked for a team list and baggage information to be supplied as soon as possible. The original team of 5 and the stand by member were informed and group availability was checked. The team was selected and a team list was provided to BA. Team as above. Arrangements to strip down kit and produce a light weight package were started. John Anderson booked a flight from Aberdeen, BA would be asked to help with flights for 5 from Edinburgh and members from Northern and Eastern would either travel with the stores van or independently to Heathrow. Simon Drayton would attend at Heathrow to try and help with any baggage problems. 1610: The members travelling from Edinburgh arrive at the airport. The baggage was checked in directly to Hong Kong. Malaria prophylactic tablets were purchased at the airport for the team. As most of the kit was checked into the hold we passed security with few problems. 1810: We push back and have an uneventful flight to London. 2000: Have contact with all the team and support crew and identify all are within the Heathrow facility. With a few phone calls, all end up where they should be and those not on the secure side make their way to collect the tickets and then proceed through. 2145: Finally all together and as last to board proceed to desk. Get to the seats and the door has not even been closed when a passenger gives a small donation to help cover any costs. The team has a real feel good factor at this time. 2222: Engines are running and we push back. 2224: On our way. 14th May0925: All breakfasted and are completing the entry paperwork for Hong Kong. Change to local time (1625) which is forward of UK Summer Time by 7 hours. 1717: Landed and start the process of getting into Hong Kong. Met as we get off the plane by the BA Operations Manager. He and his staff collect the passports and get us through the immigration and customs process without a hitch. We then go to baggage reclaim where staff have all the bags on trolleys and help take them out to arrivals. Gavin is there to meet us and we head to the vehicles in record time. BA have been wonderful. 1820: In the 3 vehicles and, after a few photos for BA, are on our way to the cargo terminal. BA Operations Manager has supplied a contact number directly to him if we have any problems. 1835: At cargo. Not just as easy as in the passenger terminal but, with the help of one of the local drivers, we are getting there. A document charge must be paid in Hong Kong Dollars and they will not take cards or other currency. The driver pays and we agree to sort out his account at the end of the mission. 4 offices, 3 phone calls and a visit to a locals only area and we get the cargo. 1915: Cargo is in our hands and we take it out to the transport. 1920: All loaded and we are ready for the next move into town. As we talk to Gavin it looks like we will have 24–36 hrs delay in getting visas. We will try to get tourist visas but can also go the route of contact with the British High Commission as he has been in touch and has a contact with them if we require to use them. Is all looking good at this time. 1935: On our way to town where we will get a ferry to Lamma Island which is the location where Gavin stays and where we will find accommodation. 2200: On Lamma Island. Gavin gets an e mail from Doug Copp in Canada, that a team of 8 are leaving Canada in 30 mins and will be in Hong Kong tomorrow with instructions to join up with IRC. We have no information on them and Gavin agrees to help if he can. 15th May0700: Gavin is at the office. With nothing new we run over the day's plan and talk over what effect the arrival of the team from Canada may have on visas and transport. Accommodation may also be a problem but we can look at that if and when they come to Lamma Island. 0900: The team meet up as arranged for
breakfast. As with the meal last night,
it has been paid for by one of the dragon boat teams. The
media are in attendance and we give as many interviews as possible.
1215: We have the 4 members at the ferry for the trip to the main island. 1245:
1330: We have been to China Travel. To qualify for the visa we needed to have return flights in and out of China and flights back to our home countries. These we had but we were then required to have HOTEL bookings confirmed in the location we would travel to. These we did not have and, having explained about helping with the rescue, etc, and the fact that we have an area in the local university campus to camp, we were still asked for our hotel bookings. Asked if we could book via the China Travel Company, hotel rooms in the area. No, none available. NO VISAS. A call was placed to the British and Canadian Consuls Departments. British Consul said we should call in and they would try the diplomatic route. 1415: We meet Paula Corrans and Alan Morrison, both of who are eager to help. They have a list of specialist equipment requested by the Chinese Government and we have almost all the location equipment, communications and water treatment items requested. They are sure that they can get the visas via the Embassy in Beijing. All passports are photocopied and equipment lists are to be supplied. It is also agreed that a letter from the Chinese Red Cross requesting help will be sent to Paula Corrans. (This letter would never arrive.) The embassy staff in Beijing will follow this up with a visit to the government departments dealing with the disaster. All looks good for tomorrow and Paula suggests we sit in Lamma until she calls. 1530 (approx): Contact the admin office and arrange for the equipment lists to be emailed to the consul. We get confirmation that this has arrived within 10-15 minutes and make our way back to the ferry terminal. We join with the team from the school and Derek. The
Canadians will join us on Lamma Island and so we all head for the ferry.
16th May0900: All are up and ready for what may happen but, with no word, both teams meet up for breakfast. Gives us a chance to once again meet and talk to the local community who have been so supportive of our efforts to get visas. 1045: We hold a team meeting to talk over the recent events and try to think of any method of getting into the disaster zone that we may have missed. All are happy with what we have tried and we stay positive with a talk on altitude sickness. Once again we get a call from Doug Copp in Canada. He indicates that the letter from the Red Cross has been withdrawn. 1115: I call the British Consulate and they have also been told that the Red Cross letter has been withdrawn. They can, however, tell us that both formal and informal requests for visas have been made in Beijing and they hope for an answer later today. 1545: From the British Consulate - the morning meeting in Beijing with the Ministry of Commerce has not gone well. They state that visas will NOT BE ISSUED to foreign teams. A further meeting has been called at 1600hrs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm or overturn this decision. We are advised that this is probably the last hope of visas being granted. We inform the Canadian Team and wait for the outcome of the 1600hrs meeting. 1705: From the British Consulate. The 1600hrs meeting did not go ahead. The Chinese Minister could not be located. He may have been tired and went home for a sleep. The duty officer in Beijing will keep trying throughout the night. Hope looks to be slipping as they allow the time to pass. I inform the British Consulate that IRC will keep the offer of help open for a further 24 hours and then due to the time scales of the disaster we will formally withdraw the offer. They agree and hope for an answer before the end of the 24 hours. Admin is informed of these events. They will start looking at the exit strategy. 17th May0800: We meet at the gym as the kit must be removed. The gym is in use today. Our team move all the IRC kit to its new location, which is, unfortunately on the roof of a 3 storey building. With only 2 Canadians available to help we start to move their kit and then have the gym cleaned and ready for use. It has been a hard start to the morning with temperatures in the 30's and high humidity. We now have to see if our phone call comes or if we must withdraw the offer of help. All agree this could be a very long day. The Lamma Dragon Boat Team come to the rescue by offering some places on a training session. They have 2 training boats and can take 3 IRC members and 3 Canadians. We make sure the team can be contacted should the call to mobilize come in and away they go. 1200: From the British Consulate: we now have a final word from the Chinese Authority and it is a very definite NO. The official reason for this is that the local infrastructure is not capable of coordinating foreign teams. An appeal was made by the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations to allow teams in but this has also been rejected in all but a very few cases. A team from Japan has been given visas and possibly a team from Russia. This information is passed to the Canadian team. Contact is made with admin and they are given all the facts about the morning and our decisions. 1430: We have the flights booked for our return home but have been unable to secure the cargo space. This will require some work and we may have to try and contact the BA Hong Kong manager for help. 1800: We are now all on the main island. C ontact with the BA Hong Kong manager has been made and we have our flight details. He has the cargo information but cannot give us any further details at this time. 1830: We arrive at the cargo terminal. One of our local drivers talks to the cargo manager and then simply disappears. 1925: The local driver returns and tells us it is all booked in. We must take the cargo to x-ray and that should be us ready to check in. 1945: We are transported to the passenger terminal and say goodbye to the local drivers and to Gavin. We make our way to check in. 2000: We are met by a member of BA staff who has been fully briefed and upgrades our tickets home. We are given a personal invitation to use the BA lounge and all its facilities BA Operations Manager in Hong Kong. He drops in later to see the team and tells us he has followed our attempts to get visas and has kept all the airport staff updated. 18th May0001: Boarding. 0035: Take off and on our way home. 0526: Back on UK time. 0700: Landed and in contact with Admin. The team must split as those travelling on to Edinburgh are booked direct and cannot leave the terminal. The others must collect the cargo and then head home. 1900: All are home safe. Willie McMartin |
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