Abacos' Emergency Services By Stephanie Humblestone

EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE ABACOS
Voluntary Service Organizations
By Stephanie Humblestone

If the measure of community spirit is the many caring individuals who give willingly and selflessly of their time, then Abaco more than qualifies. There are not only more voluntary emergency organizations today than a few years ago but increased participation of the already existing ones. Volunteers of fire and rescue departments and other emergency services, such as the ambulance unit Trauma 1 and BASRA (Bahamas Air Sea and Rescue) receive limited remuneration but mostly the reward of knowing that in some way they have assisted those in distress.

Both residents and tourists can rest assured that in the case of an emergency from a car accident to a house under threat of fire trained people will arrive promptly on the scene. Wherever the location, on the mainland of Abaco, on an isolated cay or at sea, there is some help close at hand. Organizations such as BASRA, Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire Department, Hope Town Fire and Rescue, Guana Rescue and Trauma 1 were established prior to Hurricane Floyd. Others like fire departments in Dundas Town, Cooper's Town and Treasure Cay emerged partly in response to the many fires which followed in the giant hurricane's wake and partly to a long time need. If Floyd did nothing else, and it did plenty, it made Abaco, its offshore cays and settlements realise the need for self-sufficiency.

By forming organized bodies to assist in emergencies, communities have assumed responsibility for their own fate while not dismissing outside assistance which sometimes, due to geographical location, is tardy. A long list of kind donors from home and abroad have combined to support many of the emergency units. Individuals, often second home owners, have financed medical and fire equipment and provided links with the United States for the purchase of equipment. Fire departments in the United States such as Palm Beach Fire and Rescue have given both practical and moral support to fire departments on Abaco. With all this help Abaco now has a rich network of emergency services which would do justice to any community with a comparable population. Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire Department with its six fire trucks and Hope Town Fire and Rescue with its two fire trucks are high on the list of well trained, well established emergency units. Both formed in the mid-sixties, they function independently but work in unison at times of trauma and disaster. Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire Department has 22 volunteers and eight reserves and Hope Town Fire and Rescue has 15 members and 10 reserves. All of them have busy working lives as well as families and other commitments.

A few examples include an employee of The Abaconian, a charter airline pilot, an owner of a boat rental company and a qualified marine mechanic. The highest ranks are not always exclusive to men. In Hope Town the first lady Assistant Fire Chief is a mother, rental company operator and much more. A woman started the Guana Rescue in January 1999. Many members are both fire fighters and medically trained.

In October 1998, the Ministry of Health held a First Responder Course in Marsh Harbour. Twenty-four participants attended the three-day intensive workshop on lifesaving procedures. Among them were members of existing fire and medical units and several representatives of Trauma I. An island-wide voluntary ambulance service, Trauma I was formed by Dan Wiltfang in September 1995. The first of its kind on Abaco, it now averages 250 calls a year from all over the mainland and the cays. Mr. Wiltfang offers a no fee service and exists solely on donations.

It would be remiss not to mention BASRA (Bahamas Air Sea Rescue) and its Abaco director Dave Gale as an emergency service. Now in its fourth decade, the Abaco branch of BASRA was begun by Mr. Gale. BASRA's services are used for searches, frequently in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Abaco is blessed with many fine doctors, both in the public and private sectors. They work closely with these voluntary services with the aid of VHF radios, land and cellular phones and beepers. Precious time can be gained from this smooth interaction and lives saved.

Just as we can rely on the response of the volunteers in times of duress, so, too, can we be sure that these services will continue to expand accordingly to meet Abaco's needs.