First St. John Ambulance team to leave for Jacmel

St. John Ambulance calls on public generosity

MONTREAL, Jan. 22 /CNW/ - In response to the dire need for emergency humanitarian aid in Haiti, St. John Ambulance is sending an initial team of first aid and emergency medical care experts to Jacmel. The team is expected to leave Montreal by the end of the month. This first team's assessment of local needs will be used to plan the long-term deployment of subsequent teams. Teams will be deployed and supervised from Montreal.

The Quebec chapter of St. John Ambulance, consisting primarily of French speakers, will oversee this humanitarian mission. Jacmel and the southern peninsula region have been selected for the mission due to urgent needs expressed by its inhabitants, who are still without resources.

Serge H. Malaison, chair of the Quebec Council and head of the Haiti Mission, is calling on the public's generosity to help the nonprofit organization respond to the urgent need for water, food supplies, and medical care. "We are planning the deployment in response to the particularly difficult situation in this region. I encourage people across Canada to donate to the St. John Ambulance mission in Haiti. Our volunteers are ready and, as always, depend entirely on your support. We need to raise some $500,000 to purchase food supplies, water, and equipment to help the people of Haiti. A website has been set up to accept donations for the mission. Cheques payable to St. John Ambulance - Haiti Mission, will also be accepted."

Donations can easily be made online at www.sja.ca/Canada, by calling 1-877-272-7607, or by mail to

    
                    St. John Ambulance - Haiti Mission
                    529 rue Jarry Est, Suite 401
                    Montreal, QC  H2P 1V4
    

By far the largest network of first responders in the country, St. John Ambulance operates an organization of 25,000 highly qualified volunteers across Canada. These volunteers assist at major events and are deployed in response to natural disasters and other emergencies such as floods, fires, and ice storms. They work so professionally that most people do not even realize they are volunteers.

For further information: Francis Brown, Media Relations, [phone]