El Salvador Earthquake Jan 13, 2001
January 13, 2001 an earthquake measuring 7.6 in magnitude struck El Salvador, 65 miles off the shore, southwest of San Miguel. Doug Copp who attended the disaster that day said, "the damage could have been worse but the ocean absorbed most of
the shock. If the earthquake hit on land there likely would have been over a hundred thousand people killed."
ARTI primarily focuses on the safe recovery of victims in event of disasters. While every effort is made to provide up to date information on our website, the disaster comes first.
Our team members ( Canada, USA, Israel, Honduras, El Salvador, UK)
arrived at the nearest open airport (Honduras) within 24 Hours. We rented a 9
passenger van and drove to the rescue scene. We were the first team to
arrive. Our response time was less than 24 hrs even though the countries
airport remained closed. We started inspecting the destruction in the South
of El Salvador and eventually covered every rescue scene, countrywide.
ARTI members from Mexico, Peru, Canada, France, Los Angeles,
Albuquerque, Great Britain, have reported seeing the team on tv. Copp's
interviews were seen on World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, NBC, MSNBC,
MSNBC website, Aztec TV ( Mexico), CBC CANADA, BBC Europe, SKY TV Europe,
CNN, CNN Espanol, CNN International and was 'packaged to many others around
the world. BBC Radio broadcast 6 programs with Copp. The 2 major radio
broadcasts went to an audience of 260 million listeners.
Jennifer Hayes, 'ARTI Corporate Co-ordinator' was quick to report the disaster to other ARTI members assisting in quick deployment of the team. ARTI was requested by Roberto Interiano, Vice Minister of Agriculture who, also offerred to work with ARTI as our interpreter, but ARTI did not get that message until they got home as they were already on scene.
God Bless Continental Airlines Berry Simmons (Vice President), -Pete Garcia, -Maggie, - Aimee, and Troy, in operations for arranging the approval for coordinating our flights from all over the world to land in Honduras (as the main airport was still closed). ARTI contacted Berry Simons wife at home and she got us in contact with Berry (while travelling), where he started the arrangements for ARTI to get to El Salvador.
While surveying the wreckage ARTI had time to train and instruct El Salvador Rescue Teams and officials on entering into collapsed structures.
Doug Copp was requested by Dr Kenneth DuPuy to create a report for President
Bush; to be faxed to Andrew Card Jr. , White House Chief of Staff and
personally placed on President Bush's desk, same day. He did.
Check back for photos and video footage.
In October 1986 ARTI attended the that earthquake as well in El Salvador Click here for Photos
