Los Topos and the Volunteer Ministers of Mexico provide disaster response training
These guys are great:
Los Topos, the famous search and rescue group of Mexico, and Volunteer Ministers Armando García and Dr. Sandra Ramirez are holding series of seminars in first aid and Volunteer Minister disaster response techniques at the Church of Scientology of Mexico, Balderas No. 27, Centro Historico, Del Cuautémoc, Mexico D.F.
“Los Topos” means the moles—the name given to the group by their fans for their heroic feats, burrowing under collapsed buildings to pull survivors out of the rubble. Their official title, Tecnicos en Urgencias Medicas, Seguridad y Rescate 19 de Septembre (Emergency Medical Technicians, Security and Rescue of September 19), comes from their work on that date om 1985 when a magnitude 8.1 earthquake killed some 9,500 and left 100,000 homeless in the Mexican state of Michoacan.
Los Topos and the Volunteer Ministers joined forces in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake, and have worked together this year in Christchurch, New Zealand and Northeastern Japan after the devastating earthquakes in those regions. The Los Topos staff are trained in Scientology Volunteer Minister technology and use it liberally in their work.
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2010
When the Haiti earthquake struck in January, the Church of Scientology sponsored chartered flights of doctors, nurses, EMTs and Volunteer Ministers to provide support to medical teams. The Church chartered a former Coast Guard vessel to transport hundreds of tons of medical supplies, equipment, food, water and clothing. Scientology Volunteer Ministers also provided relief in camps for the homeless and volunteer care in orphanages.
They ultimately put in place a permanent base to help in the reconstruction of the country, which continues to operate today. There are now scores of local Volunteer Ministers groups and hundreds of thousands of local residents have attended Volunteer Ministers seminars to assist them in rebuilding their country. The base has also provided courses in communication skills to Haitian police, and Volunteer Minister disaster response training to NGOs and disaster response personnel.
Volunteer Ministers joined the relief effort in the wake of the 8.8 Chile earthquake.
In March, a team of VMs from Kenya traveled to help neighboring Uganda cope after record rains caused mudslides that buried entire villages. These VMs are Scout leaders who trained as disaster response specialists through the Volunteer Ministers website. The volunteers assisted with search and rescue and provided relief to the displaced and injured living in tent camps.
In the wake of floods following Tennessee thunderstorms, Volunteer Ministers from Nashville’s Church of Scientology teamed up with Hands-On Nashville to provide on-the-ground coordination for relief efforts.
Guatemalan Volunteer Ministers provided assistance in shelters after a volcanic eruption in May and in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agatha’s floods and landslides.
Following record July floods, Volunteer Minister teams from Karachi escorted and cared for displaced children, provided much-needed rations and supplies, and airlifted emergency medical teams to bring antibiotics and fresh water to those afflicted.
When New Zealand was hit with a 7.1 earthquake, Volunteer Ministers from Auckland ran relief logistics in partnership with the local Red Cross.
In San Bruno, California, San Francisco-based Volunteer Ministers worked with civil defense personnel to help clean up debris and man emergency ration lines.
In December, the largest fire in Israel’s history burned more than 7,000 acres of drought-stricken land on the outskirts of Haifa. Volunteer Ministers organized and distributed supplies and food and provided assists.
At the end of 2010, the worst floods in 50 years hit the northeast province of Korat, Thailand. Scientology Volunteer Ministers climbed aboard military trucks and headed to the flooded areas, where they helped organize personnel and deliver much-needed supplies.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2009
The L’Aquila 6.3 magnitude earthquake of April 6 left 65,000 homeless. The deadliest Italian quake in 30 years, it knocked out the infrastructure across 26 towns. Scientology Volunteer Ministers whose team leaders are fully certified Civil Protection Specialists operated under National Command and Control headquarters in Rome and supplied administrative and tactical support to relief camps and Disaster Command Central. They also built temporary housing, administrated shelters, ran the ambulance service, directed medical services, and distributed emergency rations.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2008
After record flooding in August in the state of Bihar, India, Volunteer Ministers from Kolkata enlisted the help of doctors, organized a mobile medical center and brought them to the disaster zone. They also brought food and supplies by boat directly to stranded villagers throughout the region.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Costa Rica helped in the wake of the 6.2 quake northwest of San Jose—the worst in that country in 150 years.
South African Volunteer Ministers helped provide food, water and assists to firefighters battling the blaze on Table Mountain in Cape Town, as did Australian VMs during the Victoria brush fires, and their counterparts in Southern California during their fire season this year.
There were also Volunteer Ministers on hand to help those affected by tornadoes in Kansas and Iowa, flooding and volcanic eruption in Colombia, and mudslides in Seattle, Washington.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2007
In April, Australian Volunteer Ministers provided relief in the Solomon Islands after an 8.1 earthquake and tsunami washed away entire villages.
Latin America and U.S. Volunteer Ministers flew to Peru in August when a magnitude 8 earthquake destroyed most of the coastal city of Pisco. Working with the National Civil Defense System, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and the military they helped in the search and rescue, manned shelters and used Scientology assists to help survivors overcome the shock and trauma of the incident.
They also manned relief centers and provided support to firefighters battling blazes in Southern California.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2006
In Mozambique, Volunteer Ministers worked with UNICEF and the Mozambique military to provide relief. They left behind a 70-man team they trained in Scientology assists technology.
VMs were also on hand to provide relief from mudslides in the Philippines.
When Cyclone Larry hit Australia, teams of VMs were there. Volunteer Ministers also helped in the wake of a 7.8 earthquakes and tsunami in Java, and following a typhoon in the Philippines. They assisted firefighters battling bushfires in Victoria, Australia, and helped victims of tornadoes in Tennessee.
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2005
In 2005, as the New Year began, teams of Scientology Volunteer Ministers from 26 nations were already in place or en route to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India to provide relief. An earthquake on December 26, 2004 had unleashed the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. For months, Volunteer Ministers provided any service needed, from search and rescue and identifying the dead to providing food and other supplies to those left homeless. By training thousands in Scientology disaster response technology, from police and military officers to Buddhist monks and Muslim clerics, they extended help to hundreds of thousands and established Volunteer Ministers groups throughout the region to continue to provide help.
In August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the United States Gulf Coast, more than 900 Volunteer Ministers responded, assisting police, military and other first responders. They manned shelters, provided childcare, helped displaced persons locate loved ones and cleaned up and helped with the reconstruction of homes and neighborhoods in towns and cities in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Volunteer Ministers aided the victims of Hurricanes Stan in Guatemala and Wilma in Florida and, helped in Kentucky after tornadoes struck.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2004
When terrorists struck Madrid on March 11, Volunteer Ministers provided relief to victims and their families.
Volunteer Ministers provided aid the victims of Hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Jeanne in Florida.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2003
When the “2003 Firestorm” burned over 280,000 acres of residential and wild lands in Southern California in October, Volunteer Ministers supported firefighters with water, food and Scientology assists.
Source: blog.volunteerministers.org
Looking back on the past ten years of the Volunteer Ministers movement: 2002
Volunteer Ministers helped in the cleanup after a volcanic eruption in January in the Congo left 120,000 homeless.
In August, when the Danube overflowed its banks in the worst flooding in 200 years, Volunteer Ministers helped man sandbag lines to protect cities in Hungary and Czech Republic.
On October 23, Chechen terrorists held 850 hostage at the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow. Volunteer Ministers assisted police and rescue workers to care for the survivors, and provided succor to the families of the victims.
