By Irvin Varkonyi, Adjunct Professor
American Public University System
In the wake of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is working to identify relief needs together with major humanitarian relief agencies.
ALAN was formed through the collaborative efforts of Logistics associations including the American Society of Transportation and Logistics, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, APICS, the Association for Operations Professionals, and others. ALAN works closely with US Government agencies such as FEMA and DHS as well as International Organizations such as the United Nations.
When catastrophes occur, ALAN identifies needs that can be met through the expertise and resources of ALAN’s member base which are shared with their association members by posting them on their web page at http://www.alanaid.org/. Presently, Haiti relief efforts are in a rescue and assessment stage. It will take several days for many of the needs to emerge, and others will surface in the weeks ahead.
At the heart of disaster relief is the ability of governments, non-governmental organizations and disaster professionals to move goods and information, usually in the most difficult of environments. The effort is even more complicated when the disaster occurs in an area where infrastructure was already challenged to fulfill the needs of its citizens, as is the case in Haiti. Disaster logistics utilizes five major foundational steps as a core methodology – Planning, Detection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery. Note that the first three steps must be taken before a disaster occurs through contingency planning. Lack of planning and preparation for potential disasters compounds its catastrophic consequences. Haiti is the recipient of lessons learned in past disasters and will offer more lessons learned for future disasters.
Here are some thoughts on how individuals might help:
Review current relief needs – Visit the Relief Needs section of ALAN’s homepage at
http://www.alanaid.org/
- Reaffirm your interest in working with ALAN in its efforts to connect supply chain resources to relief – Send an email to a member of ALAN’s leadership team with current contact information and special skills or resources at http://www.alanaid.org/contact-us.php
- Learn more about ALAN and how you can get involved – Check out the How to Help section at http://www.alanaid.org/how-to-help.php
If you have resources to offer, your commitment is welcome to engage with a regional or national organization active in disaster before the next event – Major relief agencies only deploy people who know their processes and values. They usually cannot insert spontaneous volunteers into their organizations in the middle of a crisis. Disaster management professionals may improve their capabilities through the study of the connections between logisticians and disaster managements through programs such as American Public University’s degrees in Transportation and Logistics Management, or Emergency and Disaster Management.
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