We provide medical aid in the face of disaster. We go where others will not. We utilize the skills of our nation’s veterans.
We save lives. We are doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and military veterans.
We are Team Rubicon.
INACTION IS NOT AN OPTION
We Bridge the Gap.
Team Rubicon bridges the critical time gap between large natural disasters and conven tional aid response. We provide vanguard medical care by fielding small, selfsustaining, mobile teams of skilled firstresponders. We respond to isolated areas, providing crucial lifesustaining medical aid before others can react. We render this aid until larger organi zations can catch up.
What We Do and How We Do It.
Providing field medicine in a disaster zone is what we do best. We refer to it as T3 Operations (Triage, Treatment, and Transport). We identify areas within a disaster zone that have the greatest unmet need, and then we get to them, regardless of hurdles. Once on site, we establish a mobile triage, separating victims into groups those we can help on site, and those who need a higher echelon of care. Then we begin treatment. Our medical specialists have a vast array of trauma expertise, many of them having served in combat zones around the world. Finally, once everyone within our ability has been treated, we transport the remaining cases to a more ad vanced medical facility.
TRIAGE
TREATMENT
TRANSPORT
To respond to a disaster zone rapidly, we rely heavily on a horizontal command structure, social networking technology, and the employment of local nationals. Communication is key to Team Rubicon’s success. We utilize the latest satellite communication technology to ensure that we never operate ‘in the dark.’ Additionally, Team Rubicon plugs itself into local networks in the disaster zone, finding niches in the response that need to be filled. In this manner, Team Rubicon can serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the response, sending back reports from the front lines of triage operations. To help mitigate risk, which is inherent in what we do, Team Rubicon utilizes a proven a risk assessment process. These five steps are crucial to determining where, when and how we respond.
1. Analyze the situation on the ground. 2. Assess the risks involved. 3. Mitigate what risk we can. 4. Accept risks in accordance with mission objectives. 5. ACT.
What Makes Us Different? Our unique use and engagement of veterans. Military veterans have unique experiences operating under stressful, uncertain and austere environments; conducting training and realworld operations with limited food, water and sleep. Veterans who were successful under these conditions succeeded due to level headed thinking, determination, and outside the box thinking.
1.8 MILLION Number of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in America Today
The typical four year veteran has spent an average of 12 months overseas; many in leadership roles that demanded performance in the midst of chaos. Veterans have indepth security training, including Security and Support Operations (SASO), which emphasizes peacekeeping operations taking place in a combat environment. All combat veterans have basic cross training in emergency trauma medicine. Military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have likely experienced casualty situations in scenarios where danger was certain and security was paramount. Military vets have a proven willingness to serve.
Uniting Military Veterans With Medical Professionals Kaj Larsen is an award winning Correspon dent and Producer for Current TV. He cov ers conflict zones and international policy is sues around the world reporting frequently from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin Amer ica. He spent five years as a US Navy SEAL Lieutenant at SEAL Team One. Kaj contin ues his service as a reserve officer at USSO COM. A former ocean lifeguard in his home town of Santa Cruz, California; he has been a certified EMT and volunteer rescue swim mer since 2000. Kaj holds a BA in Political Science from the University of California and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Mark Hayward is a physician assistant spe cializing in tactical and operational medicine. He is a member of Medical Emergency Pro fessionals (MEP), an emergency medicine practice in southern Maryland. Mark served sixteen years in the US Army, including four years as a Special Forces medic and five years as a combatarms battalion physician assistant. He holds a BA in History from the College of William and Mary, and a BS in PA Studies from the University of Nebraska. He is married to the former Cammie Burger; they live in Virginia with their son Corwin (12) and daughter Peregrine (10).
A New Paradigm In Disaster Response David Griswell, M.D. is a boardcertified Emergency Physician and a member of Emergency Medicine Associates of Germantown, Maryland. Griz has been in practice in the Emergency Department of the Virginia Hospital CenterArlington for the past 22 years. He is a brother of Dr. John Griswell, another member of TR, and partner of Sergio Jimenez Rios of Puebla, Mexico. He responded to Hurricanes Georges and Mitch and – as a member of both the Dominican and Honduran Red Cross – he deployed across the Domini can Republic and Mosquitia.
Eduardo P. Dolhun, M.D. is a board certified Family Physician practicing in San Francisco. He is founder and CEO of Doctors Outreach Clinics, Drip Drop Solu tions, and codirector of Ethnicity and Medi cine at Stanford University Medical School. He obtained his medical degree and com pleted his residency at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Dolhun went on to complete fellowships in research, faculty development, and obstet rics at UCSF and Stanford University. He has been published in peerreviewed jour nals and is a leading voice in crosscultural medicine and oral rehydration therapy.
Haiti
On January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti near Leogane. PortauPrince, the Haitian capital, suffered massive damage to its infrastructure, creating a chaotic situation that slowed international relief efforts. To date, reports estimate that 234,000 people were killed, 250,000 residences were damaged, and 30,000 commercial buildings were destroyed. The picture on the ground reflected those numbers. Team Rubicon was on the ground within four days. Some of Team Rubicon’s accomplishments while in Haiti included: • Rapidly raised over $120,000 in cash through its website and secured over $250,000 in donated medical supplies from local hospitals, fire departments and medical supply companies. • Coordinated relief efforts through the Jesuit Relief Services, which helped identify refugee camps within the capital city of PortauPrince that had not yet received medical treatment. • Established and simultaneously deployed as many as three mobile triage clinics which conducted T3 Operations (Triage, Treatment, Transport). These mobile triage clinics had medical specialties ranging from internal medicine to neural surgery. • Temporarily assumed control of medical operations in General Hospital's emergency room for two days January 19th and 20th. Activated and deployed a team of orthopedic surgeons which helped jump start operations at Sacre Ceur Hospital, allowing patients in desperate need of orthopedic surgery to get the care they needed. • Sustained mobile field triage operations for 18 days, treating and saving thousands of patients.
Chile
On February 27, 2010, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the nation of Chile. The epicenter was near the Chilean coastline, close to the city of Constitucion, and 200 miles southwest of the capital city, Santiago. Within minutes of the earthquake, a tsunami struck coastal villages with varying de grees of magnitude, further complicating an already chaotic situation. Team Rubicon was on the ground within four days. Some of Team Rubicon’s accomplishments while in Chile included: • Conducted T3 operations (triage, treatment, transport), rendering aid to rural communities af fected by the disaster. Medical treatment included multiple surgical wound debridement, fractured bone reduction, infected wound care, and 2nd degree burn treatment. • Coordinated directly with the Chilean Army in Constitución, which asked TR to provide medical reconnaissance of the outlying communities. Team Rubicon filed official reports directly to the Army’s Chief Medical Officer, Captain Berger. • Helped reestablish communication between the rural postas (clinics), which had suffered commu nication breakdowns following the disaster. • Identified numerous rural communities that had not received any aid since the quake; these com munities were low on food, potable water and shelter. Reports sent to the Chilean government fa cilitated government air drops of supplies to these areas. • Acted as the only U.S. NGO operating directly for the Chilean Ministry of Health.
Thai/Burma Border
On August 1st, 2010, Team Rubicon launched Project Karen and sent a 5 person team to the Thai Burma border. For over 60 years, Burma’s ruling group, known as the Junta, has undertaken a brutal campaign of violence against ethnic minority groups, including the Karen, along the border of Thailand. In response to this struggle, the Karen people have set up selfgoverning groups and in recent years, organized a system of medical clinics inside Displaced Persons Camps (DPCs). These clinics are staffed by health care workers who volunteer inside the camps in which they live. With no local doctors, limited equipment and training, and almost no international support, these medics risk everything to bring medical care to their people. Due to the risks involved, many medi cal nongovernmental organizations have been reluctant to support these clinics. Team Rubicon conducted training sessions including: Basic primary care of common illnesses indigenous to the region. Basic trauma life support, including care of thoracic trauma intervention. Surgical theater basics, including aseptic techniques Surgical basics, methods and instruments Suture methods and techniques In addition to training 37 Karen Community Health Care Workers, Team Rubicon’s accomplish ments during the brief mission included: Assisted Karen health care workers in treatment of over 100 Karen in need of medical atten tion. Consulted Karen National Union Leaders on strategies for transforming the health care pro vided to the Karen people. Created organizational relationships with health workers and relief workers committed to the region and the Karen people.
Pakistan Starting in August 2010, torrential rains kicked off the monsoon season in Northern Pakistan. With record rain fall, rivers quickly swelled and began flooding towns and villages throughout the region. At the peak of the flooding, roughly onefifth of Pakistan’s land area was covered with water and over 20 million people were displaced from their homes. While in Pakistan, Team Rubicon: Treated and assessed over 3,500 patients, providing lifesaving interventions in some cases. Established relations with trusted sources in Pakistan, paving the way for future operations and assistance Worked together with CNN to increase world awareness of Pakistan’s current situation as well as demonstrate TR’s capabilities. Acted as good will ambassadors for the U.S. Team Rubicon was the first group of Americans some of our Pakistani friends had ever met. Many nongovernmental organizations were weary of responding to the dire situation due to the security situation for aid workers and the location of this disaster caused many wellmeaning Americans to keep their wallets closed. However, Team Rubicon felt that it could effectively oper ate because of its veterans’ vast experience working in similarly uncertain environments. Team Rubicon’s presence in the afflicted areas changed many locals’ opinions of Americans; a benefit that cannot be quantified.
What's with the name?
How It All Began.
Simple. The Rubicon was a
Team Rubicon began on January 13th, 2010, when founders Jake Wood, Jeff Lang and William McNulty were denied the ability to respond to the earthquake in Haiti by numerous nongovernmental organizations. Unwilling to stand on the sidelines, the team launched a fundraising campaign on Facebook and through an online blog. Leaving only days later, the team rallied in the Dominican Republic, recruiting five more volunteers along the way. What started as a simple desire to help has since morphed into a nationally recognized effort. Now registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Team Rubicon strives to engage veterans to serve again alongside medical professionals— doctors, nurses, firefighters +and paramedics. Team Rubicon believes that “inaction is not an option,” and will continue to serve at disaster zones around the world.
small stream that separated Gaul and ancient Rome. Roman law prohibited any general from crossing the Rubicon with an army. On January 11th, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and it marked the point of no return. The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has since survived in reference to any group committing itself to a risky or revolutionary course of action. On January 17th, 2010, despite government and large aid organization's advice not to proceed, Team Rubicon members crossed the Artibonite River separat ing the Dominican Republic and Haiti, carrying crucial gear and medical supplies to the people of PortauPrince. Once across, they were irrevocably committed to their task. Hence the name: Team Rubicon a group dedicated to revolutionizing the disaster response paradigm.
Who We Are. President Jake Wood currently serves as President of Team Rubicon. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, where he played football, with a double major in Business and Political Science. He hon orably served four years in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq in 2007 as an infantry squad leader and to Afghanistan in 2008 as a ScoutSniper Assistant Team Leader. He graduated the ScoutSniper Basic Course at the top of his class and was the Jim Gulardi Award recipient. In 2007 he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” for valor in the face of the enemy. Vice President William McNulty is the CoFounder of Team Rubicon and serves on the Board of Directors. He is a former Marine who served in both the infantry and Intelligence. He has worked in support of the De fense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council’s Iraq Threat Finance Cell, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He holds a BA in Economics and Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and an MA in Government/Security from The Johns Hopkins University. Chief Medical Officer John P. Sutter, MD is a board certified family physician currently working in Washington, DC. He received his B.A. in international relations from the University of Virginia, where he also served as a volunteer firefighter. During medical school at George Washington University, and during residency at University of California, San Diego, he volunteered for medical relief trips to Tibet, Malawi, South ern Sudan, and the Philippines. He has additional training in trauma and tropical medicine. West Coast Regional Coordinator Zach Smith is a Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Rocklin, California. His experience includes search and rescue, vertical technical rescue, and ocean lifeguarding with the Los Angeles County Fire Dept. Zach has also served as a helicopter medic for the East Bay Regional Parks Police De partment (CA.) Zach is currently an Instructor for Peak Rescue Institute and is a recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Valor and the California State Firefighter Association Medal of Valor. Zach has a BS in Kinesiotherapy from CSU Long Beach. East Coast Regional Coordinator Matt Pelak is currently working as a Firefighter/Paramedic in Poughkeepsie, NY and has over 13 years experience in EMS and technical rescue. He has worked in a multitude of environments from busy urban systems, to rural, to third world. Matt also has over 12 years of Army service as an infan tryman and forward observer and is currently serving in the National Guard in NY. Matt has de ployed to Iraq with the Army in 2004 and has also worked as a contractor abroad with the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service as well as deploying to Pakistan with Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon is made up of hundreds of volunteers from physicians, to first responders, to military veterans, to business advisors, and the list goes on. Without these volunteers, Team Rubicon wouldn’t be what it is today.
Our Future. Moving towards 2011, Team Rubicon is look ing to establish itself as a viable, sustainable tierone disaster response organization. To accomplish this, Team Rubicon needs to raise sufficient funds to allow it to grow in a scalable fashion. An allvolunteer force now, Team Rubicon realizes the need to hire full time staff who can oversee day to day operations; this will improve the efficiency of operational planning and volunteer coordination. Additionally, Team Rubicon is continuing to test and purchase the best gear and medical supplies that can supplement its mission. This gear is entirely manportable, and allows the teams to be selfsustaining once on the ground. Gear is being inventoried and stored for rapid deployment from the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC International airports. While responding rapidly to natural disasters remains Team Rubicon’s number one prior ity, the leaders of Team Rubicon are tenta tively planning three proactive missions for 2011, in order to continue refining their model of field medicine and triage. These missions also aid Team Rubicon in estab lishing concrete contacts with reputable NGOs around the world.
Funding. Team Rubicon’s missions are funded solely by the generous contributions of those who find our missions worthwhile. We spend every dollar as if it were our own, demanding results, providing transparency. We want to share the fruits of our labor with our supporters, to have them walk the road alongside us. To further enhance our efforts, and to continue to respond to areas around the world in need, we seek both corporate and individual donations. For more information on donating please contact : Jake Wood at wood@teamrubiconusa.org
CONTRIBUTE TODAY!