Unique Partnership Launches Belize EMS Development Program
A new collaboration between the Belize National Fire Service (BNFS), Belize Heroes, Empact Northwest and Trek Medics International kicked off the first phase of a multi-year development and preparedness program in Cayo District, in western Belize.
The partnership is working to establish the first public Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system operated by BNFS as well as capacity building for the National Fire Service which includes the provision of four ambulances, the implementation of the nation’s first computer aided dispatch system, as well as training for first responders including emergency medicine and technical rescue skills.
Injury is a leading cause of death globally. Research shows that the majority of trauma deaths in developing nations occur outside of the hospital. Prehospital EMS systems can help to reduce trauma mortality by up to 25%, with even more promising rates in rural settings. In-field response times, such as those improved by ambulance systems, also improve outcomes. The faster a patient arrives at a health facility, and the more stabilized they are during the transport process, the better chance emergency medical staff have to save their life.
Belize has never had a public EMS system of any sort, meaning that organized pre-hospital medical care has been all but non-existent. Firefighters responding to motor vehicle collisions would do their best to provide first aid at the scene but frequently the police would be transporting seriously injured patients in the back of a police pickup to the nearest hospital or clinic facility.
The first phase of our project began with a week of trainings on dispatch technology and techniques, and is focused on helping BNFS improve their emergency response coordination through readily-available mobile technologies. Among the improvements made are the implementation of Trek Medics' Beacon Emergency Dispatch platform, along with other communications tools, materials, and equipment necessary for the BNFS to enhance the way emergencies are dispatched and managed in the Caribbean country.
Belize Heroes secured a grant to procure ambulance vehicles, VHF communications equipment, and Basic Life Support (BLS) training which will result in the country’s first EMS system launching in the Cayo District. This effort will help expand EMS from the capital city of Belmopan to three additional fire stations in Cayo District.
As part of the collaboration, Empact Northwest has been tasked with providing the training component, including dispatcher training at the outset, followed by risk and needs assessments and additional trainings in structural collapse, high-angle rescue and swift water rescue for the BNFS fire fighters in subsequent phases.
Funding for this program came from multiple sources: Belize Heroes received support through the Carsi grant which is administered by the US Embassy in Belize. Empact Northwest received support through the Poulsbo (WA) Rotary Foundation. And Trek Medics' involvement was funded by Cisco Systems and PagerDuty.org.The partnership was initiated by Belize Heroes who has had an established relationship with BNFS for many years and therefore took the lead in developing partnerships. Belize Heroes initially reached out to Trek Medics for more information on their Beacon Emergency Dispatch platform. After determining that the dispatching platform would fit BNFS, additional training needs were identified, which is when Trek Medics reached out to Empact Northwest and invited them to join the partnership, an arrangement that the two organizations regularly partner together on with Trek Medics providing the communications technology know-how and Empact Northwest leading on the training and implementation components.
Ultimately the success of any such project depends on the will and buy-in of the agency with jurisdiction and the administration that oversees them. In this case we wanted to listen to and align with the vision and goals of the National Fire Service and work to provide those solutions under the guidance of the Fire Chief. All told, the program took just under six months, from inception to launch -- a pretty quick turnaround, all things considered. The success of this rapid implementation can be attributed to a willing host agency (BNFS), a motivated lead partner with local credibility (Belize Heroes), and the experience and complementary skill-sets of Trek Medics and Empact Northwest, having worked together for many years prior.
The country of Belize is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters like hurricanes, tropical storms and associated flooding due to its geographic location and topography. The goal of this collaboration is to improve the BNFS' capacity to respond to these disasters and better serve the community. With the additional resources Belize Heroes has sourced, the training Empact Northwest is providing, and the Beacon technology from Trek Medics, we hope to greatly improve emergency response for the Belizean people.
