This image released by the U.S. Geological Survey shows a shake map of the Haiti area, prepared Tuesday. (U.S. Geological Survey/Associated Press)

Winnipeg firefighters are opening their fire halls to accept donations for Haitian earthquake victims.

Contributions, being accepted at all 26 fire stations in the city, will be turned over to the Canadian Red Cross relief effort, said spokesman Alex Forrest, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg (UFFW) union.

"Firefighters, above anyone, know exactly what disasters mean like this and that's why we're really moving very fast on this, working with the Red Cross," he said.

The International Association of Fire Fighters is sending members with specialized search and rescue skills to help in the recovery efforts in Haiti and some Winnipeg firefighters may be among them, Forrest said.

Many of the city's 950 firefighters have the skills needed to rescue people from a disaster situation, he said.

"We have about 200 firefighters who are specially trained in what's called high-angle rescue, trench rescue, [and] confined space, where they would be able to go in there and do everything from shoring up buildings to doing rescues of individuals."

A decision on how many, if any, UFFW members will be sent to the Caribbean country will be made as soon as a request comes from the international association, Forrest said.

In the meantime, money is needed to get aid to the country as quickly as possible, he said.

The best way for the public to assist people in the earthquake-ravaged country is by giving cash, agreed Peter Remple, the executive director of the provincial Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Donations are being accepted through the MCC's website or people can contact the organization toll-free at 1-888-622-6337.

Massive quake hit on Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoon, Haiti was rocked by a 7.0-magnitude quake. The country's capital, Port-au-Prince, is in ruins.

Shattered communication systems in the Caribbean country made it impossible to immediately determine the number of casualties, but an International Red Cross official estimated that three million people in the impoverished country of nine million may have been affected and could need emergency aid.

About two dozen MCC volunteers who were already in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, when the quake struck and many of them are injured or too shaken to do their work, according to MCC officials.

'All of them have been traumatized by this event and we want to be aware of that we want to care for our staff, as well as respond to the disaster.'—MCC spokesman Brad Reimer

Manitoba MCC spokesman Brad Reimer said the agency is bringing in staff based in Honduras to help out.

"All of them have been traumatized by this event and we want to be aware of that we want to care for our staff, as well as respond to the disaster," Reimer said.

The Salvation Army is also mobilizing to respond to the destructive earthquake in Haiti and accepting donations online or at any of its offices in Manitoba and across Canada.

The international agency is immediately sending $100,000 (U.S) for the aid effort and has launched a fundraising drive for more.

The Salvation Army's buildings in Haiti were badly damaged Tuesday but its staff have been offering whatever food, shelter and clean water they can find, say officials.

People left homeless by the quake are sleeping in the Salvation Army's parking lot, which is being used as an emergency operations centre.

Manitoba sending $100,000

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger has also pledged a $100,000 donation to the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation (MCIC), which he said will ensure the money will be used for aid and reconstruction in Haiti.

The Mennonite Central Committee is one of 37 organizations that make up the MCIC.

The MCIC is described by the province as an independent coalition of development organizations that oversees the distribution of development dollars.

It works with member organizations to identify on-the-ground needs and acts to ensure assistance is distributed fairly and where it can provide the most benefit.

B'Nai Brith starts Haiti fund

B'Nai Brith of Canada said on Wednesday that they also have created an emergency disaster fund to aid earthquake victims.

"We call on members of the community to once again show their generosity and donate as much as they can afford to the victims of the quake," said B'Nai Brith executive board chair Earl Barish.

"We hope that our grassroots effort will provide some measure of comfort, dignity and normalcy to the victims whose lives have been torn apart," he said.

To donate to the B'Nai Brith fund, call 204-487-9623.