Mexican firefighters to learn emergency medical services
Lily Leung
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 2, 2008 12:00 AM

Fire officials in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, also known as Rocky Point, have taken a major step toward offering rapid, basic emergency medical services not only to its residents, but also to U.S. tourists who visit the beachside town.

Martin Navarrete, a Surprise firefighter/paramedic, met with Puerto Peñasco Fire Chief Ramon Esteban Manuel Lara and other fire officials last weekend to draw up a syllabus in which Surprise fire personnel will help train their Mexican counterparts in basic emergency medical services protocol.

The Puerto Peñasco Fire Department responds only to fires, bee removals and vehicle accidents; the Red Cross and private clinics handle EMS calls. advertisement




However, with the new training program soon in place, the Fire Department will be able to handle the basics: taking blood pressure, performing glucose checks and offering first aid.

The instruction will be paired with the opening of a free clinic that will be set up in late June with the help of Surprise fire staff.

Navarrete has pitched the plan to the project's committee in Surprise, and the next step is to see who will be available to help out.

"The meeting went as planned and got a lot accomplished," said Navarrete, who volunteers to train Puerto Peñasco's firefighters on his own time six to eight times a year.

Surprise Assistant Fire Chief Clint Mills, who regularly accompanies Navarrete on the excursions, said Navarrete's work is also about increasing public awareness.

During his last meeting, Puerto Peñasco residents were invited to the firehouse to have their basic vital signs and glucose checked for free.

"He's attempting to engage the public and have them more involved with what the Fire Department may have to offer them," Mills said.

The target of this awareness campaign is not only the town's residents, but also American tourists who vacation in the area, he added.

Mills and Lara have discussed a protocol for the best way to treat and transport American patients back to the U.S.

"We want to make sure it's not a guessing game, that there's a process in place," Mills said.

Navarrete will return to Puerto Peñasco on June 14 for the Fire Department's anniversary celebration and later in the month to help set up the free clinic.
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