{"id":291126,"date":"2018-12-31T06:06:45","date_gmt":"2018-12-30T20:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=291126"},"modified":"2018-12-31T06:06:45","modified_gmt":"2018-12-30T20:06:45","slug":"nmis-first-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/nmis-first-responders\/","title":{"rendered":"NMI\u2019s first responders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A lineman fixes the connection along Beach Road as part of the efforts to bring power back to the entire island. (Jon Perez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are many professions that fall under the term \u201cfirst responders\u201d: EMTs, police officers, soldiers, firefighters, utility linemen, nurses, physicians, etc. But, however else you call them, first responders are known for simply one thing\u2014they rush toward the crisis point, sometimes even at the risk of their own lives, even as others run away. <\/p>\n

In the case of the CNMI, when Super Typhoon Yutu\u2019s ferocious winds leveled whole swaths of Saipan and Tinian, the howling winds and devastation laid bare in the early morning hours of Oct. 25 also brought to the fore the indomitable spirit of the CNMI\u2019s first responders, uncovering souls of steel that allowed them to lay aside their own wounds to rush to the rescue of thousands of others who\u2019ve lost homes and properties to the typhoon. That capacity to rise beyond their own needs to help others make the CNMI\u2019s first responders the Saipan Tribune\u2019s Person of the Year.<\/p>\n

That includes not just the men and women at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Department of Public Safety, Department of Fire and Medical Emergency Services, and Commonwealth Health Center, but also the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Army Reserve, the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Saipan, Tinian, and Rota mayors\u2019 offices.<\/p>\n

Super Typhoon Yutu barreled through Saipan and Tinian on Oct. 24 just as 2018 was nearing its end, with winds of 180 mph and gusts of up to 220 mph that went on for over six hours.<\/p>\n

The widespread devastation and damage to the islands and thousands of displaced lives placed the burden of crisis management squarely on the shoulders of first responders. Thankfully for the CNMI, it has its share of superheroes. The courage, bravery, and perseverance of the men and women of CUC, DPS, DFEMS, CHC, and HSEM is becoming the bedrock upon which the CNMI is rebuilding. Just days after Yutu, the Commonwealth Health Center was already on CUC power. For comparison, it took several months before power was restored after Typhoon Soudelor in 2015.<\/p>\n

CUC executive director Gary Camacho said that, hours before Yutu hit, he was communicating with Guam Power Authority on how CUC can help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Yutu was tracking south, we were coordinating with Guam about how we can help. But when Yutu started going north, our roles were switched,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to Camacho, on the morning after of the storm, CUC immediately kicked off its plan to repair the islands and restore power and water. <\/p>\n

With over 60 percent of the island now back on power three months after the typhoon, Camacho attributed it to \u201cbig unified program\u201d by 400 CUC employees .<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a concerted effort\u2026We\u2019ve got personnel support groups all the way around to assist the people on the field,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Camacho assured that that CUC is working continuously and diligently to get Saipan and Tinian back on its feet again. \u201cCUC is blessed with such hardworking people and with strong relationships with other utilities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are also\u2026working\u2026to make our system stronger for the inevitable storms in the future. Our commitment is we will continue to develop and grow from here.\u201d <\/p>\n

That commitment is reflected at DPS. DPS Commissioner Robert Guerrero said their work never ends. He said the department is not like any other office. Police officers don\u2019t get sent home before a typhoon comes to prepare and be with their families; there is no reason for the men and women of DPS to just clean their desks and say \u201csee you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, DPS men and women are faced with difficult decisions during a crisis \u201cbecause we put lives in danger.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a hard decision where at 3am we received a call about a family stranded in As Teo. So many thoughts were running in my head,\u201d he said. \u201cWe did rescues\u2026in the morning as we assisted people who were trapped in their houses. We were getting calls but we couldn\u2019t mobilize many because it was still dangerous to drive in the streets\u2026 but the minute we were able to go, we didn\u2019t stop anymore. \u2026We rescued people and brought them to the shelter,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said that Super Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts were made easy by officers and staff working together. \u201cThe people I thought didn\u2019t get along, all worked together. Everything fell into place. \u2026It was very touching\u2026because I saw them coming together as one and this is one of the hardest agencies to manage because of the ego issues. Every person, including me, sustained damage in our homes, but the people who weren\u2019t speaking to each other before Yutu are actually working hand in hand now.\u201d <\/p>\n

According to Guerrero, every officer and staff in DPS are committed to execute what they\u2019re sworn to do and that is to put the community first. \u201cThe officers out there doing their duties, they also incurred damage, like houses being blown away,\u201d he said.\u201d \u2026These guys didn\u2019t get to line up first for the water, MREs, DNAP. In fact, they were the last group to go on the last day and I give credit to them, most especially the families, because of their strong support as this job is hard to do without the support of the families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankfully, DFEMS has a standard operating procedure for typhoons. \u201cWe learned a lot from Typhoon Soudelor and thus we have our S.O.P. in place,\u201d DFMES spokesman Derek Gersonde said. That includes taking the lead in installing temporary homes under the TETRIS program.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing how resilient the people of the CNMI are, how we help one another and knowing that we are out there to make a difference\u2014that is our true motivation\u2026,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

At the hospital, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther Mu\u00f1a knew beforehand that, based on the weather advisories, Yutu was going to be a strong one.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we prepare for a typhoon, we are getting the only hospital in the CNMI to be ready, together with Rota and Tinian to respond to any disaster related sickness and injuries,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That meant preparing the hospital staff and patients and ensuring enough supply of water and fuel.<\/p>\n

This was echoed by Public Health & Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program director Warren E. Villagomez. \u201cWe dive into a checklist and we do not only think of Saipan but also of Rota and Tinian. <\/p>\n

Opening mobile clinics is considered one of the best decisions they made. \u201cWe know people who are injured tend to first take care of their properties and this means that they would delay care for their own health. \u2026We cannot help but be responsible for them and we also don\u2019t want people to wait to receive health care,\u201d Mu\u00f1a said<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 We need to take care of people and we need to go out there to reach out. \u2026We opened a clinic in the south and we also to make sure that we have people on the ground. We didn\u2019t want Tinian ignored so we made sure that they receive the same attention,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

At some point, the San Antonio and Dandan mobile clinics each received an average of 200 encounters a day. \u201cWe incurred thousands of visits from people who would not normally been able to access care,\u201d said Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives & Innovations Subroto Banerji.<\/p>\n

The CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management was actually the bearer of Yutu\u2019s bad tidings before it came to Saipan and Tinian.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually knew that this storm was going to hit and we knew it was going to be at least the closest storm that we\u2019ve had that is so far closest to Soudelor. We didn\u2019t know until like 24-hours before it made its landfall how big it was going to be,\u201d said external affairs officer Nadine C. Deleon Guerrero.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were bracing ourselves and we [were] telling people, \u2018do not take this lightly\u2019\u2026The last time we had [a storm] as strong\u2026was typhoon Jean back in the \u201960s\u2026Yutu was actually recognized as the strongest storm to ever hit U.S. soil,\u201d Deleon Guerrero added.<\/p>\n

Yutu was definitely a learning experience for 35 individuals at HSEM.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026This is what we are trained to do\u2014emergency response and management. \u2026In terms of difficult decision, I think that was our burden as well\u2026On top of our mind was always what kind of assistance can we have for families,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was hard but we are emergency responders and this is what we are trained to do. Each of us were struggling trying to recover and rebuild but the thought of thousands of other people who are in worse scenarios drives us to work even harder,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Going into his new term in January, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said that these are the kind of people he wants to work with to keep the Marianas strong. \u201cTheir commitment and effort just makes me say that I\u2019m very proud to live in the CNMI and call this our home because our people\u2019s resilience is unmatched\u2026 The commitment is just astounding as these people come to work every day to help the community when they themselves experienced damage in their own homes. The DNAP tent, food stamp, etc. they are the last people to receive and this shows you how selfless these men and women are,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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