By Dialogo May 09, 2016 As a member of the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces (SICOFAA), the Ecuadorean Air Force (FAE) received immediate responses to its request for assistance just hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the Andean nation on April 16th , killing 650 and injuring more than 16,000. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay were the first to respond to FAE’s request by providing airlifts, food supplies, and personnel to carry out rescues. The Ecuadorean government specifically requested partner nations provide aircraft and rescue personnel to transport Military members, food and medical supplies to the areas most affected by the earthquake, FAE Colonel Mauricio Proaño, Ecuador’s Liaison Officer to SICOFAA, told Diálogo . In the hours and days that followed, SICOFAA nations such as Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Panama arrived in Ecuador to provide assistance and aid. Ecuador’s operations center oversaw the relief effort, as mandated by SICOFAA’s protocols. “We received the aid solicitation at the SICOFAA Permanent Secretariat (SPS) from the Ecuadorean Liaison Officer very early on [April 17th] and immediately disseminated it through the appropriate channels to the other Air Forces that are part of the organization,” U.S. Air Force Colonel Alberto Moreno, SICOFAA’s General Secretary, told Diálogo . “The members of SICOFAA know that the first 72 hours are vital in these types of tragedies. They acted quickly, following the established protocols.” While providing assistance to Ecuador, SICOFAA accomplished “exactly what is laid out in our doctrine and what we have been practicing over the years with both real and virtual exercises,” Col. Moreno added. “Of course, we would have preferred that this tragedy didn’t happen. But since Ecuador had the courage and the confidence to ask for SICOFAA’s help, we had the opportunity to use what we have learned during training and from other tragedies – like the earthquakes in Chile, Peru, and Haiti.” Col. Moreno remembers when the first support arrived in Haiti after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 230,000 struck in January 2010. “The aid began accumulating in the capital’s airport, and it was difficult to know exactly what the aid consisted of. It became chaos. After that experience, SICOFAA created an aid request booklet that the requesting country must fill out and send to the SPS. This way, we know exactly what the country requires and can, thus, be more efficient.” These lessons also allowed SICOFAA to work on other aspects of humanitarian assistance operations. For example, Spanish was the language used to communicate during the earthquake in Ecuador. Every country’s Air Force that arrived on the scene used the same communications system and software to coordinate their efforts. “In this case, we utilized that of Argentina with the same doctrine we have practiced in four exercises,” Col. Moreno stated. “All these years of experience have helped us to work on a legal framework for these operations. For example, knowing what to do if one of the airplanes that is providing assistance is in a situation that involves civilian deaths, or smaller details, like who bears the costs associated with fuel. All this allows us to operate with greater precision.” Training leads to success Created in 1961, SICOFAA is an apolitical organization comprising 20 members that are represented by officers from the air forces of countries throughout the Americas. The organization’s members include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Paraguayan Air Force Colonel Gustavo Schreiber, who is SICOFAA’s deputy director, attributed the mission’s success in Ecuador in part to SICOFAA’s recent exercises in Argentina. “We finished a virtual exercise in Mendoza, Argentina, on April 15th, and the earthquake in Ecuador happened the following day. The procedures were fresh in our minds.” During their training exercises, SICOFAA also trains with the countries’ humanitarian aid agencies. “In general, we work with civil defense units or firefighters and train with them on such scenarios as aeromedical evacuations and combating forest fires, among others,” Col. Schreiber stated. SICOFAA’s success in having member countries provide relief to the region has transcended borders. “We were invited by commanders of air forces in Africa to hold a presentation about our work,” Col. Moreno explained. “They are very enthusiastic and have announced that they are going to replicate our program on their continent. Something similar is also happening with countries in the Pacific, as they also invited us to present on the SICOFAA program in Hawaii.” Aid to Ecuador The region’s air forces responded to Ecuador’s request by bringing foodstuffs, medicine, and airplanes. For example, in addition to humanitarian aid food supplies provided by its government, the Colombian Air Force made a C-40 “B-737” plane with 70 passengers available to FAE under SICOFAA’s framework. Among the passengers were firefighters, two expert geologists, and risk management personnel. Colombia also provided three UH-60 helicopters to serve as shuttles among Manta, Portoviejo, Jama, and their surrounding communities. A a King Air aerial ambulance also deployed with 15 crew members and a B-3502 medevac aircraft with its own crew. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos arrived in Ecuador or April 23rd to deliver the 1,000 rations of food and blankets aboard his presidential plane. A few days later, the presidents of Peru and Bolivia arrived in Ecuador to show their solidarity with the country. Panama sent Ecuador six rescue units – four from the Civil Protection System, one made up of firefighters, and another consisting of 34 rescue workers from Panama’s National Air and Naval Service. On April 19th, a C-130 plane from the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU, for its Spanish acronym) reached Ecuador with 10 crew members to transport passengers and humanitarian aid. FAU also deployed a helicopter that could be used for nine days. On April 20th, 38 rescue workers arrived from the Dominican Republic, while Brazil also sent a C-130 plane that same day. The Brazilian mission’s goal was to provide medicine, vaccines, and hospital equipment. The Brazilians planned to stay in Ecuador for nine days to transport food supplies between Quito and Manta. Peru sent an enormous amount of aid, including a C-27 plane, which could be used for up to a month, and three MI-17 helicopters to serve as shuttles for isolated communities. Peru also sent support to Ecuador through maritime channels. A C-130 aircraft from the Argentine Air Force with a 26-person crew also landed on April 20th. Meanwhile, Honduras offered to send a CH-47 medevac helicopter and a Boeing 737-200 airplane that Ecuador could use for a month. The Bolivian Air Force (FAB, for its Spanish acronym) sent a Hercules C-130 along with 3,000 liters of water, a half-ton of medicine, and 50 search and rescue (SAR) specialists from the SAR-FAB group, which deployed a canine unit trained to search for survivors. El Salvador sent a group of 25 rescue workers from the National Department of Firefighters, the Police, the Red Cross, and three other units of emergency response personnel. Chile sent 49 specialists from the Firefighter Department’s SAR Unit to help Ecuador, in addition to providing six tons of equipment needed to search for victims trapped underneath the rubble. Canada confirmed it would dispatch a CC-144 plane that would be at the Ecuadorian government’s disposal. Lessons learned in Ecuador As it has done before following previous natural disasters, SICOFAA will continue to have a channel its members can use to discuss among themselves what went well and how procedures can be improved for future operations. “We are going to receive a report from Ecuador’s Air Force that discusses the lessons learned here,” Col. Moreno said. “Basically, [it will] say how many resources [we required] and how much time we will need them for,” Col. Proaño said. “To give an example, if I would like to borrow a plane for 20 days, but the lending country tells me ‘we can’t give it to you for 20 days; only for 10, 15, or eight days. That’s a limitation. We ought to have known what these limitations on requesting resources were.”
9SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr continue reading » At NAFCU, we have the honor of representing the interests of all federally insured credit unions. Their legislative and regulatory issues are our issues, and we daily knock on the doors of Congress and regulators in our effort to bring about the kind of change necessary to help these financial institutions thrive.
One of the best ways to instill this kind of change, I have found, is to collaborate.An Inc.com article by Natalie Nixon, director of the Strategic Design MBA at Philadelphia University, lists five reasons why collaboration is essential in today’s business environment. Her reasons are valid whether you are working alongside others within your own organization or with a range of other organizations to accomplish a certain task.
The Credit Union Trends Report is a monthly “pulse check” on the state of the credit union marketplace, often placed in a historical context. The report is published and distributed by Steven Rick from CUNA Mutual Group. View Steven’s biography.July 2016Credit union loan balances rose 1.0% in May, faster than the 0.9% pace reported in May 2015.Memberships are up 4.3% during the past year due to robust demand for credit, solid job growth and credit unions having comparatively lower fees and loan interest rates.With loans growing faster than savings the credit union average loan-to-savings ratio reached 77.6% in May, above the 74.8% reported one year earlier. ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr continue reading »
The health department says there are 46 positive cases. On Friday, the health department reported 45 positive cases, so the county has only received one more positive test. The health department says there are 34 additional individuals in mandatory quarantine, and one individual in precautionary quarantine. DELAWARE COUNTY, N.Y. (WBNG) — The Delaware County Health Department gave an update on the latest coronavirus numbers in the county on Saturday. The health department also says that 364 total people have been tested to date. Of those tests, there are 31 pending and 287 negative tests.
Additionally, the health department says that five of the positive cases have been transferred outside of the county to where they reside. Of the 41 cases still in the county, four are receiving care in a hospital and, 26 are quarantined. The health department says that three individuals have passed away, and there have been eight full recoveries. For more coronavirus coverage, click here.
The North Korean leader “expressed the conviction that the party,government and people of China would surely emerge victorious in the campaignto combat the disease” under Xi’s guidance, KCNA said. BEIJING, China – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to ChinesePresident Xi Jinping offering condolences about the coronavirus scare inChina, North Korean state news agencyKCNA reported on Feb. 1. China is theclosest isolated ally North Korea has. However, the country cancelled mostflights going to China, imposed mandatory quarantine procedures on all Chinesearrivals and heavily restricted border crossing following the virus outbreak.(Reuters)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China. BUSINESS INSIDER PHOTO
Congratulations to Louisville commit, Zach Britton, on being named District H Player of the year. On the season, Zach hit .553, and had 6 HRs, 27 RBIs, 41 Rs, and 34 BBs (Batesville School Record).Batesville Baseball is very proud of Zach, and we look forward to his future accomplishments. Coach Tucker states, “While Zach is an outstanding baseball player, he is even a better person and leader. It is well deserved!”The Batesville Bulldogs finished the season 21-10 overall and lost in the sectional championship to Lawrenceburg 7-6 to end their season.Courtesy of Bulldogs Coach Justin Tucker.
Testing players is being discussed with a view to completing the Liga season and thereby avoiding financial disaster, a source cose to La Liga told AFP on Thursday. Bale said he wanted to get back into action but felt it wise to wait and see.“Everyone wants to play football, but the most important thing is everyone stays safe, we don’t want to come back too early. We need to make sure everything is done safely so we avoid the second wave of this virus,” Bale told British broadcaster BT Sports.The Bundesliga in Germany, where there have been far fewer coronavirus deaths, said on Thursday they are “ready” to restart on May 9 but needed government approval.Rafael Ramos of the Spanish Association of Football Team Physicians said La Liga is planning to return to action in a series of stages.“The idea according to La Liga is to test everyone on April 28 and 29,” Ramos said on Spanish radio on Thursday.He added that the tests would be repeated every three or four days.La Liga president Javier Tebas said several alternatives for a return to action were being mulled with May 4 slated for the return to training.“The scenarios we are looking at could see La Liga restart as early as 28-29 May, but could also be 6-7 June or even as late as June 28,” Tebas said, calculating that the move could save Spanish clubs a billion euros in revenue if they complete La Liga and the European competitions.– Awaiting government approval –Whatever Tebas wants, Spain is under a severe lockdown quarantine and is reeling after 22,000 deaths from coronavirus in the country so far.The Spanish players union (AFE) agree with Welsh winger Bale in his call for prudence.Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets says he is more worried about team meetings and travel than training“Ask yourself if this is really a good idea. Is it safe? isn’t our main concern everybody’s safety?,” Diego Lopez the Espanyol goalkeeper said on Wednesday.Eight Espanyol players are sick with Covid-19.Barcelona and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets was also sceptical on the proposed dates.“I suppose it’s workable, to train without getting too close to the other guys, showering at home, but meetings and travelling to a match would be difficult,” said Busquets.Others have been more defiant.Real Madrid’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale urges prudence before any return to football actionRead Also: Barcelona stars linked with Newcastle amid new owners“I’m hearing stuff about May 4 or May 11. No way will I be going back to training (then), nor will I play. I’ll tell you that straight right now,” said Rafael Jimenez, a central defender at Liga 2 leaders Cadiz.Athletic Bilbao player Ander Capa was more open to a return.“I’m optimistic, I believe we’ll get restarted and I hope by June we’ll all be playing again,” he told Radio Popular.FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享 Real Madrid star Gareth Bale says there should be no rush to restart La Liga during the coronavirus lockdown as the Spanish football federation plans tests and a return to training. Loading… Promoted Content9 Facts You Should Know Before Getting A Tattoo10 Risky Jobs Some Women Do90s Stunners Who Still Look GorgeousSurprising Things Women Found Attractive 50 Years AgoBest Car Manufacturers In The World10 Absolutely Unique Facts About KanyeWorld’s Most Delicious FoodsBest & Worst Celebrity Endorsed Games Ever MadeYou’ve Only Seen Such Colorful Hairdos In A Handful Of AnimeTop 7 Best Car Manufacturers Of All Time8 Ways Drones Will Automate Our Future2020 Tattoo Trends: Here’s What You’ll See This Year
Loading… There is said to be a growing belief that he will part way with the Blaugrana at the end of the season and his return to Los Verdiblancos could be welcomed by their players. As the report highlights, Setien said upon his appointment at Barcelona: “Four days before signing for Barça I was with a plane ticket in my hand to go somewhere else. Betis? No, I will not say anything now. Someday maybe I will. It seems that the stars lined up for me to be here. There are many, many, many things. When the time comes, I will say it.” Real Betis are considering a sensational move to reappoint their former boss Quique Setien, currently at Barcelona. FC Barcelona’s head coach Quique Setien The Seville-based club are currently without a permanent Coach following the sacking of Rubi just over a week ago, with sporting director Alexis Trujillo filling the position on an interim basis until the end of the season. Setien left his position at Betis after two seasons last summer and was appointed Barcelona boss in January to replace Ernesto Valverde. However, the Cantabrian’s position at the Camp Nou is under pressure – they are two points behind Real Madrid in the title race and the weekend’s draw at Celta Vigo has ramped up the pressure. A report this weekend in Marca claimed there was a heated argument in the dressing room between the coach and his players, suggesting that there is growing friction behind the scenes. However, a report in El Desmarque now suggests Betis vice-president José Miguel López Catalán is championing the idea of reappointing Setien as boss this summer.Advertisement
Read Also: Barcelona, Juventus confirm Arthur, Pjanic swap deal However, there is also said to be resistance within the club to this idea of Setien returning – as he may yet remain in place at the Camp Nou and Betis cannot afford a long wait before appointing a successor to Rubi. Manuel Pellegrini, Marcelino Garcia Toral and Javi Gracia are said to be three names leading the Betis shortlist to replace Rubi while Mateu Alemany or Mario Husillos are among the names being considered to head-up a new-look sporting department at the club. FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享
Berlin, May 29: Borussia Dortmund have signed attacking midfielder Marius Wolf from Eintracht Frankfurt with a long-term contract, the “BVB” announced in an official statement.The eight-time German champions increased their options within the midfield as Marius Wolf penned a five-year deal on Monday until June 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.”Marius Wolf is a developable player with great prospects. The combination of his athletic ability and outstanding mentality makes him a perfect player for Borussia Dortmund,” sporting director Michael Zorc said.The 23-year-old has played for Eintracht Frankfurt since January 2017 and made 34 appearances providing six goals. He recently lifted the German Cup with the “Eagles” after beating Bayern Munich 3-1 in the final. “I am very happy to be able to develop myself at such a big club. My goal is to be successful with Dortmund in the years to come and, if possible, to win the one or other title,” Wolf told the club’s official homepage.Borussia Dortmund completed the Bundesliga campaign 2017/18 in the fourth place and booked a berth for next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage. IANS
Australia will play its first league game against Afghanistan. Alex Carey is a part of Australia squad for World Cup 2019. Aaron Finch will lead the side in World Cup 2019. New Delhi: Australia’s wicket-keeper batsman, Alex Carey is set to join Sussex for the T20 Blast after the conclusion of ICC World Cup, it was confirmed on Thursday (May 30). The tournament will start from July 18 and Sussex will play their first game on the next day against Hampshire.Carey said he’s excited to work with Jason Gillespie and is looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd. “I’m very excited to get the opportunity to play with Sussex,” he pointed out.”I played for East Grinstead in the Sussex Premier League a few years ago and now to play for the Sharks in the Blast is super exciting. I’ve heard the fans are the best in the country and I can’t wait to join Dizzy and the guys in July.” Carey has played 44 T20 games and has 918 runs to his name at a strike rate of 128.93 with one century. Gillespie, who is also a coach at Adelaide Strikers where Carey plays in the Big Bash League, stressed the batsman’s ability to adapt will hold him in good stead.”We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to Alex and excited for him to be linking up with us,” he said “He’s been impressive opening the batting for the Strikers in the Big Bash and now he’s getting experience in the middle order with Australia.”He can certainly clear the ropes but he’s also able to read and adapt to different conditions. That versatility will give us options on how best to utilise his batting in this year’s Blast. Alex is also a world-class keeper so to have a player like him joining the Sharks is a real coup for the club. I know Alex well from the Adelaide Strikers and he knows Sussex well from his time playing league cricket in the county, so I’ve no doubt he’ll fit in nicely in our dressing room.” highlights For all the Latest Sports News News, Cricket News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.