Two Haitian contractor members of the Portable Sanitation Association International have contacted the trade group to report they are OK and working on cleanup following the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the capital city of Port-au-Prince. According to PSAI representative Millicent Carroll, both Frantz Bastien, owner of the company, Ramador, and Jovenel DuBois, owner of Jedco Services, S.A., have now been in contact with the group.
DuBois or others from his company have been frequent attendees at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International and PSAI conferences, and Carroll reports that DuBois is the only PSAI-certified service technician in Haiti.
Carroll reports that a charity group, working on behalf of the Haitian government, has reached out to the PSAI to find new portable sanitation equipment to replace equipment lost by operators in the island country. She says these companies lost 80 percent of their trucks, restrooms and service supplies. She believes the companies will be looking for additional equipment to meet growing demand in the future.
The PSAI is gathering quotes for equipment needed in Haiti. The charity is looking for several vacuum service trucks with diesel engines and manual transmissions. They are also seeking about 200 restroom units with urinals, a supply of deodorizers and bathroom tissue and technician safety supplies. A complete list of needs has been sent out to all PSAI associate members.
Carroll reports this week that the U.S. and Canadian military in Haiti and some charitable agencies now have portable sanitation equipment in place, but she didn’t know how many units are in operation.
Carroll reports receiving numerous calls offering to help in the recovery effort, including one PRO who offered to donate a used service vehicle. Also, she has talked to Manny Mota, a former Major League Baseball outfielder and current coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is from Haiti’s neighboring Dominican Republic. Mota, who contacted the PSAI through Barry Gump, of Andy Gump Temporary Site Services, has offered to help publicize efforts to bring portable sanitation to Haiti.
