Local Business to Aid Disaster Relief Efforts in Philippines

Investment of $151,000 to Purchase Air Shelter for use as Portable Hospital

To support disaster relief efforts in the Philippines, the Provincial Government has invested $151,000 to purchase and donate an inflatable rapid response air shelter. The portable air shelter will be purchased from Newfoundland and Labrador based Dynamic Air Shelters Limited, manufacturers of innovative air inflatable structures. The portable air shelter will be used as a portable hospital to support GlobalMedic, and their work to provide medical care to individuals impacted by the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.

“The people in the Philippines have been forever changed by the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, and the need for aid has been heard around the world. The portable air shelter will provide a secure medical shelter, and help GlobalMedic strengthen their ability to provide medical care to those affected by the devastation in the Philippines. We are pleased to make a contribution which will have immediate impact on the ground, while supporting an innovative product from a Newfoundland and Labrador business.”
- The Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Provincial Government has contributed $151,000 to purchase a 46’ X 46’ portable air shelter through Dynamic Air Shelters Limited, manufacturers of air inflatable structures for industrial, oil & gas, and promotional and emergency response markets. The portable air shelter will be donated to GlobalMedic, the operational arm of the David McAntony Gibson Foundation which provides disaster relief services to large scale catastrophes around the world.

“We are pleased that the Provincial Government has invested in a product designed and developed in Newfoundland and Labrador, and which will play a significant role in supporting the relief efforts in the Philippines. The air shelter will build on the infrastructure needs, provide a safe, secure shelter for the delivery of aid, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
- Jim House, Business Development, Dynamic Air Shelters

The portable air shelter will be set up in Sara, Iloilo Island, where the district hospital was extensively damaged, and will be used as a field hospital to treat individuals requiring medical attention. The portable air shelter is expected to arrive in the Philippines in early December.

Through sound fiscal management and responsible decisions, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is strengthening the business environment, encouraging the development of innovative industries and building a vibrant economy.

QUICK FACTS

• The Provincial Government will provide assistance to the disaster relief efforts in the Philippines with the purchase of a portable air shelter which will be used as a portable hospital. The air shelter is expected to arrive in the Philippines in early December.
• The air shelter will be donated to GlobalMedic, the operational arm of the Canadian charity the David McAnthony Gibson Foundation.
• GlobalMedic has been deployed in the Philippines since November 12 following the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan. GlobalMedic is staffed by professional Canadian rescuers - specifically paramedics, police officers, nurses, doctors and firefighters - who volunteer their time and skills to help those in need around the world.
• Dynamic Air Shelters Limited is a Newfoundland and Labrador company with production facilities in Grand Bank and Fortune on the Burin Peninsula.
• For more information on other innovative businesses and organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, visit www.innovationlivesherenl.ca . 

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2012 11 29             4:35 p.m.