Fire-Rescue Instructors Get “Schooled” in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa and REDS Team Fire-Rescue Instructors deliver school supplies in Retalhuleu, Guatemala

Annual Fire-Rescue School Takes a Break

Retalhuleu, Guatemala- It is a tough job. It’s hot, humid and the days are long. The logistics are difficult, the equipment minimal. So, it takes some tough, experienced people to train fire and rescue personnel in Guatemala.

Our annual Fire-Rescue school in Guatemala is a joint project of the REDS Team, of Garner, North Carolina and AMEDICAusa. Twenty-seven fire departments, the Guatemalan army’s humanitarian rescue team (UHR) and the Red Cross attended this year for classes including Water Rescue and Fireground operations.

After several grueling days spent in the water and on the training grounds, the instructors and the Army were given a little break. This morning, we loaded up the military truck with supplies and headed off to visit two local elementary schools.

When Programs Collide

Life for a child in rural Guatemala can be rough. Most parents work as subsistence farmers or campesinos on larger farms. Money is scarce, most living on about $1.75 a day. Clothes, books and even meals are difficult to come by. The grim statistics are that in Guatemala there are tens of thousands of school age children who are not in school. Simply because they can not afford the supplies.

AMEDICAusa provides a supply program to elementary schools in rural areas in Guatemala. Placing the basic education supplies directly into the hands of the students ensures that at least one worry is taken care of. Each packet contains enough supplies for about three months of school.

This is the first such supply trip that our instructors have experienced. But the crossover between our programs is not at all unusual. Because we work closely with the local fire departments, and the firefighters know EVERYBODY, we get many referrals of schools in need from them. Local firefighters also frequently serve as volunteers on our missions.

“Tough Guy” Hearts Melt, and it Isn’t the Heat

Our previous Fire-Rescue schools have always been at the Air Force base in Guatemala City. Logistically this was easier, and the City’s altitude provides a more temperate climate. But Guatemala City has no river, and water rescue classes require, obviously, water.

Moving to the pacific lowlands, where there are rivers, but also extreme heat and humidity, presented some challenges. However, it also gave our instructors the opportunity to see a great deal more of rural Guatemala, and to meet people outside of the fire service and military.

A classroom wall built of egg cartons. You use what you have in Guatemala.

An escuelita in rural Central America bears little resemblance to a typical elementary school in the U.S.. Construction is generally primitive. Dirt floors are common, many have bamboo walls, and electricity and running water are often only a dream. Fans or air-conditioning are unknown, even in the heat of the lowlands. The Ministry of Education provides a teacher’s salary, such as it is (around $300 usd a month), and not much else. It is one thing to know about the poverty of the Guatemalan people, it is quite another to experience it first hand. No where is it more evident than in a rural escuelita.

Our instructors are both shocked and amazed. Seeing how little these kids have, and how grateful they are for a little help is a humbling experience. Several are so moved that they offer to come back simply to help with more school missions. We will be glad to have them.

Practicing AMEDICAusa Goggles with the kids (photo: The REDS Team)

Time to get to work.

The kids are a little shy at first. We are far from the Guatemala City or the tourist towns of Antigua and Lake Atitlán, so the children have had little or no interaction with “Gringos” before. Breaking the ice isn’t difficult, teaching the kids how to put on our our “AMEDICAusa Goggles” does the trick, along with taking their pictures and simply asking their names and speaking with them in broken Spanish.

A lollipop break with the kids

Each child is given his or her own package containing notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers and, as a small bonus, a lollipop. Everyone gets into the act, exchanging a smile, a brief word or a fist bump as the kids get their packet. The time is too brief. While all of us could easily spend the entire day here, but we have another school to supply, and classes to instruct this afternoon.

Teaching students and soldiers to put on AMEDICAusa goggles

Fire Instructor Captain Allen Jenkins distributes school supplies and smiles in equal measure

Firefighter & Water Rescue instructor David Thompson exchanges a fist bump with a schoolboy.

Water Rescue instructor Kirsten Steele, herself a teacher, with Guatemalan school kids.

UHR soldiers distribute school supplies with AMEDICAusa

AMEDICAusa president Neale Brown during school supplies mission in Retalhuleu

Teniente (Lt.) Angela Werner of the Guatemalan Army UHR

Water Rescue Instructors Kirsten Steele and Emily Harrison with some new friends

San Miguel los Lotes – Guatemala’s New Pompeii

Dinning Table where a family was just sitting down for lunch in San Miguel los Lotes, Guatemala (photo: AMEDICAusa)

Nothing was Unusual in San Miguel los Lotes

Zona Cero, Guatemala – A quiet, sunny, Sunday afternoon in the small Guatemalan town. The only day off for most of the villagers who commonly work sunrise to sunset six days a week, toiling in the fields of nearby fincas or tending one of the myriad Tiendas (tiny convenience stores) that dot the towns of the country. Some are just home from church, some are sleeping off Saturday’s ritual night out. Kids are playing inside and out. Dogs roam the streets. Mothers and grandmothers are setting lunch, Sunday’s main meal, on tables outside. Dominating the skyline above is Guatemala’s most active volcano, Volcán Fuego, emitting a pretty normal plume of ash and steam…

https://www.amedicausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Volcan-Fuego-Eruption.mp4

Volcán Fuego Eruption – June 3, 2018, San Miguel los Lotes (Caution: Strong images)

Gray. Just Gray.

An overwhelming monochrome moonscape strikes you as soon as you arrive. As if someone has filtered out all the color from the world and left only the slight variations of tone found in old photographs. What little color remains is muted, dusty and somehow sadder for its rarity. A child’s shoe here, a discarded plastic cup there… but not nearly enough to brighten the landscape. What few leaves remain on the scorched and dying trees are dull, drooping and grey/tan. A sudden and very hot winter has come to the land of eternal spring. At first, you see what appears to be a scattering of small houses, dusty, dirty, and empty. It is only when you look closer that you realize that you are looking at the second story, the single story residences having been completely buried.

This is, in fact, one of the chief dangers of San Miguel los Lotes now.

A Dangerous Path

There is the Volcano, of course. It remains active and new eruptions are not only possible, but likely. We have posted a lookout just in case there is any activity during our survey. We are five miles from the main vent, close enough that there is some danger. Lahars are a threat as well, but less so, since there haven’t been heavy rains in the last two or three days. Dust is less of a problem since the rains have compacted much of the finer ash that would pose a heath risk. Still, we are careful not to scuff our feet or raise more dust than we absolutely have to.

Partially excavated for access, the main street of San Miguel los Lotes (photo: AMEDICAusa)

No, the most serious risk we face at the moment is the buried, unmarked houses. Most have laminate roofs, either metal or fiberglass, not very well supported in the best of times, now carrying the load of many tons of ash and rock. Some have already collapsed, leaving sandy, crater-like depressions in the earth, adding to the feeling you are on the moon.

It would take just a little more weight, say your footstep, to collapse a roof, drop you into the void and bury you in the ash that followed.

San Miguel los Lotes Before & After Eruption (photos: DigitalGlobe)

Learning from Disaster

AMEDICAusa had, of course, been active in the disaster recovery from the day of the eruption. Messages from our friends and firefighter colleagues in Guatemala started pouring in within minutes of the event. Clearly it was much worse than the initial news reports. It became quickly evident that there was severe shortages of even the most simple of rescue and emergency medical supplies. That became our priority. Our staff and volunteers were engaged in the effort to get supplies to the shelters, hospitals and first responders for the first two weeks after the disaster.But identifying needs, arranging donations and distribution of supplies from the States is not the same as being on the ground.

To learn what was done and what wasn’t, what worked and what didn’t, I needed to go to Zona Cero.

When in Doubt, Call the Fire Department

My first call was to my long time friend, Comandante Vinicio Calderon, Chief of 32 Compañía, Bomberos Voluntarios, in Patulul. In addition to his duties as Chief of Department, Calderon serves as commander of an entire regional division of Guatemalan’s Fire Service, some 16 cities, including the area near Volcán del Fuego. Calderon was part of the command team, and intimately involved in the emergency response to the eruption.

Zona Cero is a restricted area, for many reasons, but primarily because of the dangers involved in just being there. No one is allowed in without legitimate need. CONRED (Guatemala’s version of FEMA) keeps a tight reign on access. Even with prior arrangement, it took several hours and a lot of paperwork to obtain my unrestricted pass from CONRED. (I was asked for next of kin information and to which hospital I wished to be transported as well as my normal travel documents… an ominous touch.) They do not allow media access and the press has congregated in a small, semi-permanent knot around the zone’s roadblock.

Neale Brown and Comandante Vinicio Calderon at San Miguel los Lotes (photo: 32 Cia. Bomberos Voluntarios)

On The Road

The military counts people in and out, as even with an official pass, only so many are permitted in the zone at a time. We were held at the military guard station for over an hour and were allowed in only when enough workers had exited to counter our entrance.

The first half mile of the journey into the zone from the checkpoint is eerie. There is a fine coating of ash over everything, but for the most part it looks undamaged, but deserted. Houses, stores, even cars stand ready for use, but remain empty. Occasional stray dogs wander alongside the road. I wonder who, if anyone, takes care of them. A low, gray, rocky hill in the middle of the highway marks our entry into the true Zona Cero. Beyond this point the pavement ends, covered in hundreds of thousands of tons of volcanic ash and rock. A highway crew is parked next to the buried village. They are working feverishly to reopen Ruta 14, the main highway linking western Guatemala to Antigua.

A Walk on the Moon

Accompanied by Comandante Calderon and three of his firefighters who were here during the initial response to the eruption, we climbed the ash hill into the ruins of the village. There is a smell. At first, just a faint whiff of sulfur, then the strong smell of corruption and decay. It waxes and wanes as we walk, but it is always there. An awful reminder that this is now officially a cemetery, with a great many bodies still unrecovered. The Fire Chief relates how difficult it was to abandon the recovery effort.

We walked through some of the buildings that were still accessible. A neighborhood restaurant and bar, the chairs and tables scattered and overturned. The small kitchen of a home. The shrine to Virgen de Guadalupe that somehow survived the destruction of the rest of its building. The firefighters pointed out where they were able to affect rescues, and the more numerous places where they recovered the dead. Search markings left by the responders remain on the walls of those structures above the ash. A paint mark meaning three dead found here, or more commonly, no entry, no survivors. Over there, they say, is where we recovered the children, indicating a breached cement block wall where five children were found clutching each other on a bed. I’ve seen the photograph. I won’t reproduce it here.

Firefighters deal with their burning boots at San Miguel los Lotes

Firefighters faced increasing injuries, damage to equipment, and were finally chased out of the zone, at a dead run, in an emergency evacuation due to a lahar. Command ordered all rescue and recovery efforts to cease. Difficult as it was, the risk to the responders outweighed the bleak prospects for any remaining rescues. It was unpopular. Families wanted their loved ones recovered. Firefighters wanted to keep working.

It was, however, the correct decision.

Lessons learned and What is Needed Now?

Despite the danger, and the difficulty of the task, both mentally and physically, the firefighters didn’t want to give up. Hiking boots fell apart, the glue melting and the stitching charred by the latent heat of the debris. Gloves wore out in hours, abraded by the glass-like volcanic ash. Eyes grew red and irritated by the dust, leaking around cheap construction goggles. Coughing and sneezing from that which penetrated the masks.

Questions remain about the initial circumstances surrounding the government’s response to the disaster. The authorities were apparently meeting about whether or not to evacuate the area at the time of the eruption. This has raised something of a political firestorm, but is not related to the emergency response to the disaster after the eruption itself. By all accounts, while there were some difficulties, the fire service performed well, even heroically, in the response. There are some training issues, but the biggest problems involved equipment, or rather, the lack thereof. Boots and gloves for the responders were used up at a prodigious rate. Not designed for intense heat nor the abrasive volcanic materials what few they had were soon gone. Simple masks and goggles capable of filtering out the fine volcanic dust were in short supply.

The end of the pyroclastic flow at the furthest edge of the village. (photo: AMEDICAusa)

The Scope of the Disaster

The official toll stands at 169 fatalities, though they are only counting those victims whom they have identified. Firefighters Juan Bajxac and Antonio Castillo were killed in the eruption. Both were members of 55 Compañía CVB, Alotenango. CONRED official Juan Francisco Galindo and Police Officer Donaldo Chután Enríquez also gave their lives.

Juan Bajxac and Antonio Castillo of 55 Compañía, CVB, Alotenango, Guatemala, evacuating people from a bridge moments before their death.

Unofficially, authorities in the Guatemalan government and rescuers within Zona Cero have told us the the actual numbers are closer to 3,000 dead. Several small villages, not mapped or named, are not included. Hundreds more sustained injuries, including life threatening burns.

3,379 people remain in twelve official shelters. Thousands more being sheltered privately with family and friends.

San Miguel los Lotes has been declared a National Cemetery.

Relief Efforts Continue

The shelters for the survivors are exhausting many of their relief supplies. One shelter, the Finca de Industria in Esquintla, told me that they will run out of food on or about October 1st. They are also short of personal sanitation supplies and cleaning products. Fortunately, one of our partner organizations, Sociedad Cívico Cultural Guatemala of Chicago, Illinois, is delivering more than a truckload of supplies to the shelters this week to help ease the shortages. (Though many of the canned and dried foodstuffs they shipped have been held at the border, “until it can be determined if they are expired”. They aren’t – I helped pack a lot of them.) A lot more will be needed before the survivors can be resettled.

Plans for that are moving with glacial rapidity.

Want to help? The survivors and the first responders of the eruption of Volcán Fuego need a helping hand. You can make a donation to AMEDICAusa easily and securely here.

Canalitos: How We Made a Fire Chief Cry in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa – Delivering the goods in Canalitos, Guatemala

Canalitos: Welcome to the “Red Zone”

The cantón of Canalitos, known in Guatemala City as Zona 24, is one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of a city already infamous for gang violence and extreme poverty. You venture there with some trepidation, and only with good reason. It is designated a “Red Zone“. Once denoting areas controlled by the insurgents during the civil war, Red Zone is now the term for particularly dangerous, crime ridden areas.

Canalitos Firefighters on scene with a 17 year old girl, victim of a gang shooting.

Emergency Services in Zona 24 are provided by the Bomberos de Canalitos. A small, very young Fire Department, their Facebook page is littered with posts of shooting victims to which they have responded. Since they have no fire engine, they run primarily out of a small “Ambulance”, a worn out Toyota mini-van. Formally the private vehicle of the Fire Chief, it is showing its age. Bucket brigades are used to control any fires. Independent of the two national Guatemalan fire organizations, they struggle for support. Asking a Quetzal (13¢ U.S.) a month, what few funds they have come in small donations from local residents.

Building a Fire Company in Canalitos

We do not do much work in Guatemala City. We have a relationship, of course, with the Bomberos Voluntarios and Bomberos Municipales, and both have their national headquarters in the capitol. But, by and large, the capitol’s fire companies, while underfunded, have more equipment and training than their rural counterparts. They protect, after all, the homes and workplaces of the country’s congress, bureaucrats and most of the nation’s wealthy.

Canalitos is different. Annexed into the city almost as an afterthought – Guatemala’s major watersource of is here – few of the city’s services are available to residents. Neither national firefighting group is really interested in investing in such a poor area. Of course, very little tax revenue comes out of the barrio, so it remains largely ignored by the government.

Enter Pablo Muralles and Angelica Garrido‎. Veterans of Guatemala’s Bomberos Municipales, they created a new fire department where none had existed. With the grandiose name “Asociación de Emergencias Medicas Bomberos de Canalitos” (ASEMBOC) they took on a small, run-down commercial building for their station While building the department, they recruited at-risk youth to form the core of their firefighting force. Creating an alternative to the gangs and violence is important to them.

AMEDICAusa meeting in Guatemala City with (L-R) Pablo Muralles, Angelica Garrido, and Marisol Martinez of ASEMBOC

AMEDICAusa Gets Involved

Guatemalans are a close people, even when far removed from home. Carlos Luna, a Canalitos native now living in Chicago, brought the fire department to our attention. Luna runs a large Guatemalan community group in the windy city, as well as “Marimba Luna Maya” an international youth music group. He also holds down an everyday job. Carlos is a busy guy. But he still has time to try and help out his native barrio. He contacted AMEDICAusa after hearing how we help the Guatemalan fire services, and put us in touch with Comandante Muralles. A meeting was arranged in Guatemala (to which the firefighters brought Rellenitos, one of my favorite Guatemalan foods) where we got to know the department and it’s challenges.

A Long Journey for Fire Equipment

Of the things Bomberos de Canalitos lacks, perhaps none are so important as protective gear for the firefighters. Helmets, coats, jackets, gloves and boots are difficult to find, and very expensive in Guatemala. Even more difficult is to find them in matching colors and styles to outfit an entire fire company.It is not at all unusual to find firefighters in 1960’s era fiberglass helmets, canvas jackets and gardening gloves. ASEMBOC had some, courtesy of Carlos and the Chicago Fire department, but not nearly enough. Could AMEDICAusa help them out?

We had received a great donation of black turnout coats and pants from Waldwick Volunteer Fire Department in New Jersey. An equal number of fire helmets, nearly new, came from the Huntington Volunteer First Aid Squad in Long Island, New York. Boots from Pennsylvania, gloves from North Carolina. Yeah, we can do it! But how do we get it to Guatemala?

It really Does take a Whole Village

About this time, Volcán Fuego erupted in Guatemala, and AMEDICAusa was involved in the relief effort. The aftermath of the eruption brought the chapín community in Chicago together in a relief drive for the folks back home. Donations of clothes, medical supplies, food and money were being raised, and a Guatemalan-American shipping company, ServiExpress, had even donated the shipping. Carlos Luna asked if I would be interested in coming to Chicago to speak and help out at their relief event. (He also promised me the best Rellenitos north of Tikal if I would do it.) Space could be found for some fire gear he told me.

Not wanting to show up empty handed, I managed to stuff enough sets of turnout gear, helmets, gloves and boots to outfit Canalitos into my little car and set out for Chicago.

Chief Angelica Garrido sheds a tear while receiving an AMEDICAusa equipment donation

“I may have caused

a Fire Chief or two

to cry during my career,

but never before in happiness”

– Neale Brown, AMEDICAusa

Fortunately the Guatemalan community of Chicago were spared the agony of my public speaking, but we loaded A LOT of boxes that night. Enough to fill a couple of tractor trailers with donated goods. Included in that haul were our firefighting equipment, soon to be on its way to Guatemala.

So, two emergency service agencies, one Chicago community organization, one shipping company, one Maryland based non-profit, several dozen volunteers, and several thousands of miles later, the firefighters of Canalitos are a little bit safer tonight. It makes me want to cry a little too.

Next we have to find them a better Ambulance…. anybody got one to donate?

No,really…I’m Serious. Call me.

Hard to say who should be towing who…

6.9 Earthquake strikes Southwest Guatemala

Victim is rescued from Church collapse after Guatemalan earthquake.

Early Morning Earthquake claims at least one life.

Retalhuleu, Guatemala- A violent earthquake collapsed a portion of the Catholic Church in San Sebastian, Retalhuleu, Guatemala early this morning. 30 year old Juan Francisco Esteban Javier was sleeping inside the church. Though rescued alive from the rubble by firefighters of Retalhuleu’s 11 Compañía CBV, Javier later died of his injuries at the local hospital. Sadly, the first confirmed fatality in this morning’s severe quake. An elderly woman has reportedly perished of a heart attack resulting from the temblor in nearby Malacatán, San Marcos, Guatemala.

Landslides and Damage to Buildings widespread.

Retalhuleu’s Fire Chief, Salvador Matheu, said that the older Spanish colonial buildings were the worst affected. Firefighters and city officials have been surveying the damage throughout the city.

“There is damage to the Old Cathedral and the Governor’s Palace in the historic Central Square.” said Matheu. “and even some to the Fire Station. Newer buildings haven’t been damaged as much.”

Firefighters prepare to move leaking tank of chlorine gas after earthquake.

A chlorine gas leak at the city’s water treatment plant became the most immediate problem after the rescue. The earthquake had fractured a supply line from the supply tank to the plant causing an uncontrolled release of the deadly gas.

“We don’t have hazardous materials suits, so the best we could do was move the tank as far as we could from the houses nearby, while wearing our firefighting gear.” said the chief.

In the nearby town of Santa Cruz Muluá, a portion of the old Catholic Church collapsed and the municipal building was damaged. Maydi Aguilar, an official of the municipality said “We have reports of houses damaged and collapsed both town and in the villages but, thank god, no injuries reported yet.”

The main highway linking Retalhuleu with Quetzaltenango, two of Guatemala’s largest cities, has been blocked by multiple landslides and a possible tunnel collapse.

Officials Breathe a sigh of relief after earthquake.

Reports of serious damage are coming in from firefighters and officials all around the area of the earthquake. However, most of our reports have said one thing in common. It could have been much worse. San Cristóbal, Totonicopán reported damage to buildings, but no known injuries. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second largest city reported extensive damage, but few injuries. Even towns closer to the epicenter, San Marcos, Malacatán and San Pablo, report few injuries, though the power is out in those areas. The epicenter of today’s earthquake was deep and in a relatively sparsely populated region of the country. This is thought to have limited the human toll. For comparison, the 1976 Guatemala Earthquake killed 23,000 and injured 76,000 more.

Experts say aftershocks are possible over the next few weeks and maybe as strong or stronger than the original quake. Residents of the region are being urged to take precautions.

Update: 9:32 pm EST: The Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh) said that in 15 hours, they had recorded 39 aftershocks with magnitudes between 3.3 and 4.6 . Prensa Libre is now reporting five (5) deaths in total. The three additional deaths are said to be cardiac related. In addition, they report seven additional traumatic injuries. Fifty (50) known landslides have blocked roads and highways in the area.

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A Really BIG Bird Lands in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa – USAF C-17 Arriving with Firefighting Equipment in Guatemala City

Firefighters Greet Giant Cargo Aircraft on the Tarmac

Guatemala City, Guatemala – You really have to see a C-17 up close to experience the shear size of the thing. Second in size only to the Air Force’s C-5 Galaxy, the C-17 is capable of carrying enormous amounts of cargo over vast distances. Always a rare sight, this one appearing over Guatemala City is special for another reason. It is carrying a fully equipped fire engine and several tons of Fire and Emergency Medical equipment to the firefighters and paramedics of Guatemala.

The culmination of a year long AMEDICAusa project in cooperation with The REDS Team of North Carolina, and the Denton Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this flight carried everything from band-aids to fire helmets for multiple Fire Departments and hundreds of Guatemalan firefighters. The supplies and equipment were donated to the effort by fire departments and rescue services from around the U.S.

We looked like children opening gifts at Christmas! – Chief Salvador Matheu, 11 Compañía CVB, Retalhuleu, Guatemala

Fire Crews awaiting the arrival of the Fire Flight from the U.S. – AMEDICAusa

Guatemala has 134 Bomberos Voluntarios and 88 Bomberos Municipales* fire stations spread through the country. Few of these departments – outside of downtown Guatemala City – receive much in the way of governmental funding. These 222 stations serve a population of almost 17 million people spread over 42,000 square miles of difficult terrain. (For comparison, the City of New York has 255 stations covering 8.4 million people in 305 square miles…The State of Pennsylvania has 1852 Fire Stations for 12.8 million people over 46,000 square miles.) All of the stations struggle financially to keep their doors open, and nearly all rely on second (or third) hand equipment, generally from the U.S. or Canada.

Unloading a fire engine from the C-17 in Guatemala

“I can’t deny that it was a big spectacle to see this huge plane landing and even more when they lowered the fire engine, it looked so tiny coming out of this big plane.” said Chief Matheu who helped AMEDICAusa coordinate the distribution of equipment at the Guatemalan Air Base.

Several Fire Departments get New Gear

Fire companies came from all over Guatemala to pick up the equipment allotted to them. For example, San Pedro 42 Compañía CBM received all new turnout gear – jackets, pants, boots, gloves and helmets – for it’s 40 firefighters. Retalhuleu 11 Compañía CVB received palettes of E.M.S. supplies, a new ambulance stretcher and leather rescue gloves. San Cristóbal, Totonicapán 121 CVB finally got a fire engine, turnouts and SCBA after ten years of trying.

Sorting Fire Equipment at the Air Base

“It’s a difficult job.” said AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown. “There is overwhelming need and we get a lot of requests for fire equipment. We work closely with the two national fire organizations as well as with the stations themselves to determine where we donate which equipment. Often it is a question of how we can do the most good for the most people with what limited resources we have.”

“Training is a big component of the program.” said Brown. “We have to ensure that the department receiving the equipment is well trained in its use, to make sure it is used safely and effectively. Some firefighting and rescue equipment can be particularly dangerous to operate. Before we donate such tools to a department we make sure that they have, or will, train with us in its use.”

AMEDICAusa runs an annual fire/rescue school in Guatemala.

Relationships with USAID and Other Agencies are Pivotal.

“Our programs would be much more difficult, much more expensive, and much less effective were it not for USAID, our donor departments and our NGO partners.” said Brown.

“Transportation costs alone would eat up most of our budget if we didn’t have Denton Program support. Many people think that programs like ours are paid for by the government as part of a largely mythical foreign aid budget. The reality is that the U.S. budgets less than 1% annually for it’s foreign aid programs, and most of that is in the areas of security and defense. A tiny fraction goes to humanitarian aid world wide. It worries us, and other non-profits, when we start hearing all the ‘America First’ talk. We depend on the equipment donations of U.S. fire and rescue departments and on the transportation afforded by the Denton program. I am heartened by the description that one U.S. Embassy staffer offered, that we are the best ‘good bang for the buck’ in terms of costs for humanitarian programs. “

The Denton Program offers NGO’s the opportunity to use military shipping at no cost . If there is space available on an aircraft or surface ship that is going to the desired country anyway, approved humanitarian aid can be used to fill that empty space. The bureaucratic process is generally slow, complicated and difficult, but is often worth the trouble for NGO’s like AMEDICAusa.

Get Involved!

There is an opportunity to help us with our next firefighting supply and training missions in Guatemala. The next fire engine is almost ready to go, but we always need more equipment, and cash donations to help with costs. Interested in being a Fire/Rescue instructor? Contact Us.

“FIRE FLIGHT” Air Force crew with AMEDICAusa and Firefighters in Guatemala

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

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

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

*There are two different and separate national firefighting organizations in Guatemala. Bomberos Voluntarios or CVB (Volunteer Firefighters) and Bomberos Municipales or CBM (Municipal Firefighters) . Despite the names, both organizations have career and volunteer members and a very similar rank and organizational structure. The chief difference is in how they originate, whether organized initially by a Mayor (CBM) or by a private citizens committee (CVB). They are somewhat competitive, and sometimes duplicate services within a single area.

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemalan Humanitarian Award

AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown receives the Monja Blanca Medal from Guatemala Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Williams Mansilla Fernandez.

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemala’s Highest Civilian Award

GUATEMALA CITY– The Monja Blanca Medal was presented today to AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown. The award ceremony followed the conclusion of the organization’s annual FIre and Rescue Training School in Guatemala. The week long school brings together both firefighters and military rescue specialists from around the country to train in fire and rescue techniques. Provided in partnership with North Carolina’s REDS Team, the program enjoys wide support from both the military and fire service communities.

The medal, named for the national flower of Guatemala, is also a prestigious military decoration within the armed forces. It is awarded to those who provide exceptional humanitarian service to the people of Guatemala. Previous recipients have included Mexico’s Special Technical Rescue Team, members of CONRED (the Guatemalan Disaster Relief agency) and Officers of the military’s Unidad Humanitaria y Rescate (UHR) technical rescue team.

AMEDICAusa was recognized for their work in medical care, education, and disaster relief and training throughout Guatemala. Both Neale Brown and the Members of the REDS Team also received individual awards and certificates from the Ministry of Defense in recognition of their efforts on behalf of the people of Guatemala.

Neale Brown instructing firefighters in Guatemala (REDS Team Photo)

Humbled and Proud of Award

“This was a complete surprise and I am humbled by the award.” said Brown. ” I knew nothing about it until the ceremony had begun. I am, of course, proud of the work we do and all of the donors and volunteers who make it possible. Without the people who make it all work, like the REDS Team, we would not be able to accomplish what we have. Our job now is to continue to earn the honor every day.”

AMEDICAusa provides aid in three main areas. Besides working with the firefighters of Guatemala as part of their disaster relief efforts, they also work to provide medical care and educational support to the poor and indigenous peoples of the country. For the week after the ceremony, Brown and AMEDICAusa volunteers travelled to several different locations in Guatemala, distributing donated equipment and meeting with a variety of local officials.

Silvana Ayuso receives Monja Blanca Award

This is the second time that members of AMEDICAusa have been recognized by Guatemala for their efforts. AMEDICAusa Vice President, Silvana Ayuso, also received the award of the Monja Blanca in 2015 for her long and continued work on behalf of the people of Guatemala.

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

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

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

Fundación esta Alojando un Clase para Bomberos Guate

Bomberos! Entrena como su vida depende de ello!

Las clases para Bomberos estarán el 3 – 7 de octubre en la Ciudad de Guatemala

Dos fundaciones de los Estados Unidos, The REDS Team, (el equipo rojos) y AMEDICAusa son compañeros en esta formación de los Bomberos guatemaltecos.

El REDS Team es un grupo famoso de especialistas de rescate tecnica. Han entrenado muchos Cuerpos de bomberos en los Estados Unidos y alrededor del mundo. Este es sus cuarto viaje a enseñar en Guatemala.

AMEDICAusa es un fundación por ayuda médico, educación y la ayuda del desastres en Guatemala y Centroamérica. Ofrecen equipos y capacitación para los bomberos y paramédicos de Guatemala.

Las clases se ofrecen en conjunto con personal rescate de el ejército que estarán presentes en la formación también.

La clases incluyen :

La seguridad y la supervivencia de los bomberos

Técnicas para el rescate del vehículo

Embalaje paciente para rescate de la montaña

Técnicas de rescate de la cuerda

La construcción de estructuras de madera para rescate

Escaleras y armazones para el rescate

…y mas. Todas las clases serán enseñadas con poca charla como es posible. La mayoría del tiempo será utilizado realmente haciendo el trabajo.

¡La Escuela es gratuita!

Con la cooperación amable del Ministerio de la Defensa, la escuela será impartida en la Base aérea antigua en la Ciudad de Guatemala. Toda la comida, el alojamiento y la formación son proporcionados gratuitamente a los que participan. Camisetas serán dadas a todos los participantes y es hasta posible que algún equipo pueda ser donado a su cuerpo de bomberos al final de semana.

¿Quién puede participar?

La capacitación esta abierta para cualquier miembro de un Cuerpo de bomberos oficial. No importa si eres municipal o voluntario (u hombre o mujer). Los participantes deberán entrenar a su propio Cuerpo de bombero. Se necesita una recomendación de un oficial de su grupo para participar. Dos bomberos de cada departamento pueden asistir. Darán la preferencia a aquellos grupos con los cuales hemos trabajado antes si las clases están llenas.

¿Cómo puedo registrarme?

Para registrarse, hable con su Jefe de grupo local. El o ella pueden registrar a dos miembros de su compañía poniéndose en contacto con Silvana Ayuso, Vice-Presidente de AMEDICAusa, por correo electrónico (silvanayuso@gmail.com) o al teléfono (5201-9757).

¿Qué tengo que traer?

Su E.P.P. …ropas, casco, y botas. PROTECCIÓN DE OJOS. Su ropa y sus artículos personales para esos días.

Por más información contacta:

Silvana Ayuso silvanayuso@gmail.com o 5201-9757

Haga clic AQUI para imprimir un folleto

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.

AMEDICAusa, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Public Charity.
IRS # 81-0842688

Donations to AMEDICAusa, Inc. are tax deductible under IRC section 170.
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Our founding documents can be found here.
©2016-2023 AMEDICAusa, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Annual Fire-Rescue School Takes a Break

When Programs Collide

“Tough Guy” Hearts Melt, and it Isn’t the Heat

Time to get to work.

Nothing was Unusual in San Miguel los Lotes

Gray. Just Gray.

A Dangerous Path

Learning from Disaster

When in Doubt, Call the Fire Department

On The Road

A Walk on the Moon

Lessons learned and What is Needed Now?

The Scope of the Disaster

Relief Efforts Continue

Canalitos: Welcome to the “Red Zone”

Building a Fire Company in Canalitos

AMEDICAusa Gets Involved

A Long Journey for Fire Equipment

It really Does take a Whole Village

Landslides and Damage to Buildings widespread.

Officials Breathe a sigh of relief after earthquake.

Firefighters Greet Giant Cargo Aircraft on the Tarmac

Relationships with USAID and Other Agencies are Pivotal.

Get Involved!

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemala’s Highest Civilian Award

Humbled and Proud of Award

¡La Escuela es gratuita!

¿Quién puede participar?

¿Cómo puedo registrarme?

¿Qué tengo que traer?

Por más información contacta:

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

Ambulance donation enables unique solution for two cities

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

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

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