In Guatemala, firefighters face huge challenges every day just doing their job. They are chronically underfunded, poorly paid and largely unequipped. Never the less, they answer the call for fires, emergency medical services, accidents and frequent natural disasters.

U.S. based charity AMEDICAusa has been working to help alleviate the problems faced by firefighters in Guatemala. Providing donated firefighting and rescue equipment, as well as training the fire and rescue services in Central America has been a hallmark of the organization.

Logistics is not sexy, but it is essential

Making sure the donated equipment gets to Guatemala firefighters is difficult. It must go to the correct fire station, be compatible with their neighbor’s equipment and be delivered in a timely manner to a foreign country some 3000 miles away. It is complex and labor intensive. Volunteers drive thousands of miles to gather donated equipment, sort and package it for the individual needs of the receiving fire departments, prepare it for inspection then deliver it for shipment to Guatemala. It is no small task.

“As our organization has expanded, we have run into a severe shortage of space” said Neale Brown, President of AMEDICAusa. “Our storage spaces were full, both in Maryland and in the Midwest. We did not have sufficient space to sort, pack and palletize the equipment to be shipped to Guatemala. We have a similar problem in North Carolina. This was causing delays due to inclement weather and lack of volunteer manpower. That does not even mention the increasing costs of storage space. Some of our supporters have been storing gear in their homes and businesses, at their personal expense and great inconvenience.”

Chicago to the Rescue

That is where the community of Chicago came in. The Sociedad Cívico Cultural Guatemala (SCCG) has long been a leader in the latino community in the Windy City. Having worked on several projects with AMEDICAusa in the past, they once again stepped up to aid their brethren in Central America. An area wide search was begun by SCCG to locate donated warehouse space to solve the problem. Friends called friends, and soon three companies had stepped up to help… Máximo Marín of Maximum Transport, Inc. donated warehouse space, the use of his tractor, fuel and driving. Humberto Morenos of MTC Morenos, Inc. donated additional warehouse space and Mike Irwin of BT Trucking donated the use of a commercial trailer.

The volunteers of SCCG and AMEDICAusa Midwest coordinators Keith and Jeanie Anderson acted as stevedores, loading and unloading the trailer and organizing the donations. The first load of donated fire equipment was moved from Crown Point, Indiana to the warehouse in Chicago on March 16th.

“This isn’t the glory part of the charity, but it is incredibly important. Everyone likes the part where they get their pictures taken in front of the big plane distributing the equipment in Guatemala. The real work, though, is getting it there in the first place. I can not thank the volunteers and donating companies enough. They are the heroes of this story.”

-Neale Brown, President, AMEDICAusa

What’s next for Guatemala Firefighters? Want to help?

Moving the remainder of AMEDICAusa’s donated equipment from Maryland to Chicago is the next step. Combining it with the equipment already there will enable the charity to send enough equipment for ten or more fire companies in Central America in their next shipment.

“Our normal shipments are generally equipment for about ten companies, but having this ‘distribution center’ will allow us to either expand the number of companies, or send shipments more often.” says Brown. “we can always use more donations of Fire engines, ambulances and equipment for the Guatemalan firefighters. They truly are in extreme need.”

“Right now, we are also in need of financial donations. We operate with totally volunteer labor, but renting the trucks, fuel and associated supplies costs cash money. While this move will save us a lot of money in the future, we are looking at a couple of thousand dollars in expenses involved in the transition. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is difficult for a smaller charity on a shoe string budget.”

People wishing to aid AMEDICAusa can donate here:

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Retalhuleu, Guatemala – The polar vortex wreaks frigid havoc across the United States. Meanwhile, AMEDICAusa firefighting instructors Gary Allcox and Neale Brown work in heat stroke conditions in the pacific lowlands of Guatemala.

Today’s class is the second stop of a ten day, four city mission, involving nine different fire departments. The participants are the Bomberos Voluntarios of Retalhuleu, and the new Bomberos Municipales of San Felipe.

Unfortunately, fire engines do not come with instruction manuals

– Neale Brown, President, AMEDICAusa

These training missions are an important part of AMEDICAusa’s programs to support and aid the first responders of Guatemala. “We never donate equipment without providing the training to use it safely and effectively.” Said Neale Brown, AMEDICAusa’s president and CEO.

“In this case, we are assisting the city of San Felipe, Retalhuleu, start their first fire department. ” said Brown. “We are sending them a donated fire engine soon, and we want to make sure that they are ready to respond on Day One. By pairing them with their more experienced neighbors, they can train together and learn to work more effectively.”

The classes are structured to teach and practice basic skills for firefighters and fire engine operators. Pump operations, rapid fire attack, hose loads and SCBA practice are the order of the day. The importance of mutual aid is also stressed by involving members from the two neighboring companies to work together.

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