Sheriff's deputies prepare to leave for Haiti relief mission.

Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum recently announced that three members of the Sheriff’s Office have volunteered to assist in the humanitarian relief effort in Port Au Prince. Operating under the auspices of Save the Children, Group Leader Corrections Sgt. C.J. Polocco, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Richards, and Deputy Sheriff Donald Hughes will be assisting in the distribution of food and medication, providing communications and logistics support for mobile clinics, and working with other personnel in constructing shelters and hygiene facilities.

All deploying members were medically screened according to CDC guidelines and prepared for the environment with essential gear and supplies donated by Gander Mountain, Wal Mart, and others. They arrived in Port Au Prince on January 21, 2010 at 11:20 a.m. and were immediately tasked food distribution efforts and incident command structure assistance.

Transportation was provided via a private aircraft flight that Save the Children had arranged with its donors to deliver critical medical supplies. The Sheriff accompanied the volunteers to Port Au Prince to assess the mission objectives and meet with Save the Children managerial personnel. He was back in New York at 7:00 p.m. on the same day.

This deployment is initially expected to last twenty one days. The members have been granted leave by the Sheriff and avenues are being pursued for reimbursement for Ulster County. All three members personally volunteered and offered the usage of their earned vacation time to assist in this relief effort. “They are trained to help people. For them, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to respond quickly and make an impact saving lives,” Van Blarcum said. “Knowing that their absence would not disrupt the function of our Office and having confirmed the integrity of the mission I am proud to support their efforts.”

The Sheriff’s Office has had over thirty members volunteer to go to Haiti to assist in this effort with many others offering financial assistance.