Ambulance and Medical Supplies Headed to Firefighters in Guatemala

Joint Project of Swiss NGO and AMEDICAusa, Inc.
takes equipment to Santa Cruz Muluá, Guatemala

A Swiss non-profit, Ambulance4Guatemala, and AMEDICAusa, a non-profit headquartered in Frederick, Maryland have teamed up in an effort to provide donated emergency equipment and supplies to firefighters in Guatemala. A used ambulance, stocked with medical supplies, is now on its way to the small city of Santa Cruz Muluá in western Guatemala where it will serve two different municipalities and the small villages that surround them. About 30,000 families or roughly 100,000 people live in the area, most are impoverished.

AMBULANCE4GUATEMALA in New Jersey with unit bound for Guatemala

The Swiss group, Sara Berhend, an attorney, Dr. Claudine Moser, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and Pierre Martin are delivering the ambulance by driving it over 3000 miles to Guatemala. They raised most of the money for the purchase of the ambulance and travel expenses from private donors in Europe and combined efforts with AMEDICAusa who works closely with Guatemala’s fire services to provide equipment and training throughout the country.

Medical Supplies loaded onto the ambulance at AMEDICAusa in Frederick, Maryland

AMEDICAusa provided additional funds for the purchase of the ambulance, filled it with donated medical supplies, and provided technical expertise as well as assistance in selecting the recipient departments in Guatemala.

The Swiss team travelled from Zürich to New Jersey where they picked up the ambulance and began their travels, first to Frederick, Maryland. There they loaded the vehicle with emergency medical equipment and supplies at AMEDICAusa’s headquarters, then continued their journey toward Guatemala. They expect to arrive in Guatemala before August 20th.

Ambulance and team continue on their way to Guatemala

Ambulance donation enables unique solution for two cities

“There are two cities involved here,” said Neale Brown, President of AMEDICAusa. “One, Santa Cruz Muluá, had a small Fire Department already in service and some experience with running an ambulance. Unfortunately, their old ambulance has broken down leaving them with nothing. The neighboring city, San Felipe, had previously approached AMEDICAusa about starting a Fire Department in their municipality, but are just now starting the construction of their Fire Station, and they are not ready for the equipment yet.” Neither department had yet acquired a fire engine and depend on bucket brigades and help from distant cities for fire protection.

AMEDICAusa with city and fire dept. officials in Santa Cruz Muluá, Guatemala

“When the question came up about who should get the ambulance, we saw an opportunity to broker a deal with the two cities to enable us to serve a great many more people.” Said Brown, who has just returned from a series of meetings in Guatemala.

“We had already committed to assisting San Felipe with starting a fire department and had acquired a fire engine for them. Our initial thought was that the ambulance would go there as well. The problem was that the station is not yet built nor have they hired the firefighters and medics to staff it. We really didn’t want the ambulance to sit in the elements unused in the interim. While visiting the area, we became aware that Muluá had the opposite problem. They had the firefighters and a small station, but no ambulance.

The Church at San Felipe, Guatemala

So, we met with the Mayors and Fire Chiefs, and arrived at a solution. The ambulance will go to Muluá, and they will use it to respond to both cities, beginning immediately. When the fire engine is ready, it and the accompanying rescue equipment will go to San Felipe, who will in turn cover Muluá.

Fire Engine for being readied for donation to San Felipe, Guatemala

AMEDICAusa will be providing joint training to both departments as well, so they can work together effectively.”

While such “mutual aid” agreements are fairly commonplace within the United States, they are rare in Central America.

Volcano Explosions Prompt Warning in Guatemala

Residents and Agencies Warned of Imminent Ashfall
Two very large explosions at Guatemala’s Santiaguito Volcano have caused the government agencies to issue warnings in southwestern Guatemala.

The latest, occurring this morning at 5:12 local time, threw ballistic bombs for over a mile, an ash cloud over 16,000 feet high and caused pyroclastic flows to rumble down the mountainsides.

(INSIVUMEH photo)
A Pyroclastic flow is a collapsing, high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas. They move at very high speed down volcanic slopes, at up to 450 miles an hour. One such event buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

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Friday, a similar, somewhat smaller explosion rocked the mountain.

Volcano Warnings for Ash and More Explosions.
INSIVUMEH, the government scientific agency charged with monitoring volcanic activity throughout the country, issued a warning for significant ashfall for 20-25 miles south and west of the mountain, with the advisory that fine ash could drift much farther. They also noted that additional explosions and activity are likely with a possibility of explosions much greater is size. Aircraft have been warned away from the area.

Friday explosion at Santiaguito
Volcanic ash can range from fine dust particles to gravel and poses significant health risks when inhaled. Volcanic ash is heavy, and significant ashfall can cause roof and structural collapse. When wet, such as from Guatemala’s recent heavy rains, it has the consistency and weight of wet concrete and can cause massive landslides.

Several of these volcanic landslides, called Lahars, have occurred in Guatemala over the last week, both at Santiaguito and Volcán Fuego another of the country’s three erupting volcanos.

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The warnings include the villages of San Marcos and Loma Linda, Palajunoj, Finca El Faro, Patzulin, El Patrocinio, and the populations of El Palmar, San Felipe, Las Marías and others in this area. It is likely to drop Ash on Mazatenango and its municipalities.

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

Guatemalan Landslides Leaving Many Homeless

Tzununá, Sololá, Guatemala

168 people left homeless and more than 28 structures damaged by landslide in a small Guatemalan village.

The landslide occurred in the Patuyá section of Tzununá, where authorities are setting up two emergency shelters to house the affected people, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) reported. (CONRED is the Guatemalan equivalent of FEMA in the United States.)

Cristian Rodriguez, CONRED spokesperson, reported that at least 28 families are affected and they are coordinating with other officials to transfer them to a shelter.

(photo: Prensa Libre / CONRED)

“The houses were flooded by mud and stones that broke off from the mountain. Those affected are going to be moved because they are cut off and there is continued danger of further slides.” added Rodriguez.

AMEDICAusa Vice President Silvana Ayuso is in Guatemala and has been in contact with CONRED and Military officials at the scene and reported that emergency supplies are already enroute to the area.

“We are preparing to send emergency food supplies and clothing right now.” said Ayuso. ” This is happening in other places in Guatemala, and there is a significant danger of a much larger landslide happening anywhere right now… We must be ready.”

In the Department of Quetzaltenango on July 12th, a landslide killed a 61 year old man, despite efforts by the local firefighters to revive him.

Another slide was reported in the Department of Alta Verapaz last night.

Last October a catastrophic landslide buried the village of El Cambray Dos, outside Guatemala City, killing an estimated 350 people, many of whom were never recovered.

https://www.amedicausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CarmenAdmusic.mp4

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Municipal Orange Alert to be declared in Santa Cruz La Laguna.

In order to expedite assistance for affected families and help prevent further damage or injuries, the Mayor of the Municipality is expected to make the declaration today.

Current Guatemala Landslide Danger Map – Areas in red are at the highest risk (CONRED)

According to information provided by CONRED, soils in the western areas of Guatemala are over-saturated with the recent heavy rains, conditions which facilitate landslides. More Rain and thunderstorms are expected today.

In addition, officials are concerned with the possibility of Lahars, volcanic mudflows of ash, rocks and rainwater, that can be literally boiling hot and have the consistency (and mass) of wet concrete. A Lahar occurred on June 13th from the slopes of Santiaguito, one of three currently erupting volcanoes in Guatemala.

Video of Tzununa Landslide

Video of flooding in Jerez, Jutiapa.

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

Unusual Cargo to Fire Dept, San Cristóbal, Guatemala

San Cristóbal, Totonicapán, Guatemala-

AMEDICAusa volunteers arrived at the Fire Department here with an SUV filled with, by Firefighter standards, very unusual cargo.

AMEDICAusa bringing donations to the Fire Dept of San Cristóbal, Totonicapán, Guatemala

Donated by the well-to-do of Guatemala City and others, the boxes, bags and cases contain not helmets, nozzles or other tools of the trade, but instead dresses, chic sportswear and other goods one might expect to find in a good downtown store.

Fire Departments in Guatemala receive little in the way of public funds. There are no property tax bases, government grants or city budgets to defray the costs of operation. Each department must find, or create, its own sources of funds, just to keep the doors open month to month. Some rent space in their fire station to small businesses, some sell potable bottled water, and some allow the creation of a marketplace in their parking lot.

In this case the donated goods will be sold in what amounts to a yard sale to raise money to help keep the lights on and the doors open.

Donated Fire Engine for delivery to San Cristóbal

Part of AMEDICAusa‘s effort to train and equipment firefighters around this Central American country, this mission is a prelude to the delivery of a new used Fire Engine and equipment acquired and donated by a joint effort between The REDS Team, of North Carolina and AMEDICAusa .

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“The first line of defense in any disaster is the local Fire Service – firefighters and paramedics.”

– Neale Brown, retired Fire Department Officer and Paramedic, President of AMEDICAusa.

REDS Team members packing donated fire equipment bound for Guatemala

“By undertaking a proactive mission to equip and train these departments, we hope to make more of a difference in disaster situation in Guatemala,” Said Brown. “The first 72 hours after an incident begins are the most important, that’s when lives are saved and the most property salvaged. Unfortunately, that is also before international disaster relief teams can arrive.”