Exclusive: Inside Americares' lifesaving training in Stamford
Inside a hotel ballroom in downtown Stamford, Americares has erected a small tent city – complete with its own electric supply, medical clinics and even plumbing supply.
When hurricanes, earthquakes and wars break out, most people flee. But Stamford-based Americares heads straight into the danger zone, offering lifesaving supplies and medical care.
This week, relief workers from around the globe are in town, training for the worst. News 12 Connecticut got a rare look inside on Thursday.
TENT CITY
Inside a hotel ballroom in downtown Stamford, Americares has erected a small tent city – complete with its own electric supply, medical clinics and even plumbing supply.
"What this is, is a representation of how we set up a medical camp for an emergency medical team, when we respond to emergencies," said Provash Budden, Americares' deputy senior vice president for Emergency Programs.
Budden said the sprawling complex can treat up to 200 disaster victims per day.
Inside an air-conditioned "mess hall" tent are a StarLink satellite, GPS units and satellite phones to keep medical crews connected, even if local power and internet is out. There are also makeshift showers and sinks – all fed by a system that can convert bacteria-infested flood waters into 3,000 gallons of clean water every day.
LOCAL AGENCY, GLOBAL RESPONSE
Americares has deployed to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and is responding to the wars in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine.
"When an earthquake hits, or a hurricane, we would take an emergency medical team out to the disaster zone," said Budden.
And crews don't just offer physical treatment, but counseling too. All of the equipment is housed at Americares headquarters in Stamford. But in the future, some of it could be distributed at other locations around the world, so Americares can respond to disasters even faster.
Click here to volunteer or donate to Americares’ relief efforts.
