Aviation Insurer Coordinates Hundreds of Relief Missions

On January 12, as viewers in the U.S. first saw images of the devastation in Haiti, the natural reaction was to pitch in and help immediately. For most, that meant texting, calling, or logging on to their computers to donate much-needed money to relief efforts. For those with access to business aircraft, however, help could answer the urgent need for first-response aid.

Lance Toland, owner of Lance Toland Associates, an Atlanta, GA-based aviation insurance company, knew he had to act as soon as he heard the first news reports on the disaster. Quickly calling his clients and activating his contacts on the ground in the Dominican Republic, Toland heard heartbreaking stories and urgent pleas for aid, especially for orthopedic supplies and antibiotics.

“With reports of total devastation in Port-au-Prince, we wanted to attack the problem from the back side, by entering through the Dominican Republic,” said Toland. “We knew that we’d be able to fly our planes into Santa Domingo, then transport the supplies to the border much easier than jockeying for position at the Port-au-Prince airport,” he explained. “I picked up the phone to call my clients, including doctors and airplane owners, and it was just amazing the response I got,” Toland continued.

“There was no hesitation – my clients and contacts simply asked what needed to be done and when they could get started!”

Upon his return to the U.S., Toland realized he would need the assistance of more people and companies to get the amount of supplies needed for such a huge disaster. He reached out to companies he did business with, and received thousands of pounds of supplies, including IVs, orthopedic supplies, and antibiotics while coordinating with jet owners to have the supplies flown in. “We’ve coordinated hundreds of airplanes and are approaching 1,000 flights into the Dominican Republic, creating an air bridge into Haiti,” said Toland.

“It’s such a great feeling to receive the type of outpouring of generosity we’ve gotten from the general aviation community.”