Marco Jimenez in Mexico-City
For the first 70 years of its existence, the only training volunteers of the Mexican Red Cross received was in basic first aid. This resulted in some of the calls for assistance ending in deaths which might have been avoided if volunteers had been better trained, “Before, we had no training. When we got an emergency call we responded with little reflection, but always with a true vocation to help” says Raúl Serratos, volunteer for 51 years with the National Society which will celebrate it’s centenary in 2010.
To respond to this need for specialization of volunteers, the National Society founded the NCEMT (National College of Emergency Medical Technicians) in 1983. The earthquakes of 1985 confirmed the need for professional volunteer paramedics, and since then training has been obligatory.
The college receives 2,500 students per year. It also carries out ongoing research, which it publishes, and designs new training courses - all of which make it the most prestigious prehospital care institution in Mexico and the region.
“The prestige of the school is underscored by the type of experience our volunteers are exposed to, which contributes to the consolidation of their training. Mexico experiences hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and extraordinary situations resulting from the capital being the most populated city in the world, as well as other social tensions which can be difficult to deal with” says Iván Villareal, the young director of the school, who with 14 years experience as a volunteer is one of the most advanced technicians with the National Society.
“During Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross requested support from the Mexican National Society’s relief team to organize the massive assistance operation there, because of our volunteers’ vast experience in similar situations.”
The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Paramedic) course is made up of three one-year blocks which can be studied one after the other or with breaks in between. All volunteers of the National Society have some paramedic training, depending on the number of years they have studied. The NCEMT also offers other specialist courses related to different types of rescue, use of dangerous materials and lifesaving, including diving.
Despite its prestige and impact, the NCEMT has financial problems. It currently receives funding from the National Society and through students’ fees.
“Internationally, most paramedics come from the middle classes. In Mexico our paramedics are generally from marginalized communities for whom this training is a unique opportunity to get a profession” and which is still beyond the means of some.
Paramedics’ salaries in Mexico are another problem. A paramedic earns about US$ 240 a month. This underlines the deep vocation of our paramedics, whether they are volunteers or employees of the National Society. “The low salary means that our paramedics can’t work at this full time, as they have to supplement their income with three or four different jobs to support their families” says Villareal. “I know the case of a colleague who only sees his family once a week because of the various jobs he has ... and he still works without pay one day a week as a volunteer with the National Society.”
“People should be made aware of the generosity of our paramedics. A lot of people think that the National Society is a government body and that people have the right to the services provided as if it were an entitlement for paying taxes. They don’t know that it is a private project which benefits the public, and whose resources are limited” concludes Villareal. “The spirit of our work lies in the dedication of our volunteers.”