By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
NATIONAL Emergency Medical Services Deputy Director Kevin Bell said the soaring crime rate is having a “tremendous impact” on staff members mentally and efforts are being made for more mental healthcare avenues.
He made the statement on Friday during the donation of 40 ballistic vests to the National Emergency Management Services Unit.
The donation comes at a time when the country currently has a murder count of 17 for 2024.
“We are a very busy high volume emergency response team and to add to the burnout, the normal burnout of our staff, is these murder scenes, these gunshot calls, it's having a tremendous impact on our staff members mentally and we are in the process of arranging even more mental health care avenues for our staff members as we speak,” Mr Bell said.
“They really see a lot. When we average it out, it is said that the average human or the average civilian or citizen will see maybe two to three horrific scenes in their lifetime. These men and women, they see those things on average six times a week. So if you do the math, that's how much impact it's having on these individuals and so mental health care for them is very important to us.”
The vest donations were coordinated through Global Emergency Management Consulting Group COO Dr Hazedean Smith. He explained the vests were secured through generous donations from fire departments in the Central Florida area. There also will be tactical emergency casualty care training.
He explained the vests are level three vests, which are recommended by National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 3000 as appropriate due to first responders not being law enforcement.
“We're not preparing them to go into the hot zone,” he said. “We're preparing them to interact within the warm area of a particular incident. Hence there's no chest plates in the front or the back. So that's the idea behind having a ballistic vest for EMS providers.”
Dr Smith emphasised that there have seen many incidents across the Caribbean and also in the United States that require a change in response plans and preparedness for EMS providers.
“So the public health authorities support and the diaspora involvement are very vital in fortifying the pre-hospital readiness here in The Bahamas. The efforts of Global Emergency Services Consulting Group, in assisting with these donations, really it's dear to my heart.
“The Caribbean is dear to my heart, The Bahamas is dear to my heart. So I really feel that it was important to ensure that we provide as much support as we can in terms of getting these donated vests here to The Bahamas and the training that goes along with it.”
Mr Bell expressed the number one priority in emergency medical services and response to emergency scenes is safety of personnel. The deputy director added that the donation marks a huge leap of progress in the department as they provide even more safety devices for staff members.
“As was already mentioned, we do respond to a lot of emergencies, namely, gunshot incidents. There's always the potential for that scene to become a hot zone for our staff and so now that they have the necessary gear – should something like that happen, they would be more protected,” Mr Bell said.
He detailed the safety measures for first responders that are still in place.
“Prior to this, what would happen is, when we get a call for a gunshot wound, our crew members would stay a distance away from the scene. Perhaps two corners away from the scene, and await the arrival of the police on the scene and then the police would confirm from their control room, where our dispatcher sits, that the scene is now safe and they can enter. And so our dispatchers will radio to the ambulance and say, okay, police are on scene, you can proceed.”
The next safety item to be acquired will be ballistic helmets.
Comments
rosiepi 3 months, 1 week ago
It should be noted that the NFPA3000 recommendation for these vests and helmets were made in 2014, ten years ago. Further considering the ‘non rapid’ response of police officers on scene, one can imagine that having first responders held in abeyance until their arrival greatly reduces the likelihood of survival for victims.
And why does the Bahamas not have the will to protect their own citizens? It’s shameful, always waiting for and/or begging someone, or some other organization to cover their basic needs??
Last year Wake Co in North Carolina purchased ballistic vests and helmets for the 450 members of their first responders at a cost of $650,000. And we waited 10 years for 40 donated vests and no will for the much needed helmets?
There’s what $700M in property taxes owed? Money from increased duty, VAT and all those loans that never quite measure up to address the needs of our own because the first cut goes to our politicians sleek in their shiny suits,their ‘civil’ servant lackeys. We still don’t have an adequate hurricane shelter open in the Abacos! No wonder we’re an embarrassment on the world’s stage.
SP 3 months, 1 week ago
NATIONAL Emergency Medical Services Deputy Director Kevin Bell needs to use his contacts to have the PLP and FNM heads examined for creating this crime wave by giving all the peoples blue collar jobs to expats for the last 50 years!
PLP and FNM believed the unemployment they caused wouldn't be a problem because Bahamians were so stupid they would simply silently sit back and watch their families starve to death.
Wayne Munroe says he has a dilemma identifying gangs and members.
The biggest gang is named "urban survival" was gradually created by the PLP and FNM over 50 years as they gave tens of thousands of blue collar jobs to expats, forcing unemployed Bahamians to learn to hustle in the streets for survival!
Thank you PLP and FNM. What would we have done and where would we be without you?
JokeyJack 3 months ago
No sir. You are wrong. Do not thank the PLP and FNM for these problems - you must thank the people who voted for them. We always talk about the PLP and FNM like they are some aliens from another planet that just show up out of thin air. THE PEOPLE put them in power over and over again - so please do not blame those two political parties.
ohdrap4 3 months, 1 week ago
Health sector workers see a lot of tragedy. I hope there is some king of support to help them cope . But remember, it now affects us. I rarely go out of the house in the darkness for many years now. But now I am afraid to go out in the day as I could be shot driving out of the mall or food store.
SP is right about blue collar jobs. If you shop at the Fresh Market by Old Fort Bay, you will think you have been transported to Southeast Asia.
Now the Jamaican and Haitian workers are harder to pick out from the crowd. But there are many
John 3 months ago
The thing is the shootings and stabbings use to occur mostly at night and so the staff working the night shift could be ‘prepared’ for what to expect. But now with these shootings and violence happening all hours of the day and all days of the week, it is definitely taking toll on EMS personnel, police, hospital staff and even residents in hotspot areas. Over 40 shootings in December and January, resulting in over thirty deaths mostly on an island 21 x 7 with no clear end in sight. Soon there may be a shortage of EMS personnel fue to burnout and people no longer signing up for the job. Same with homicide police officers.
Sickened 3 months ago
The first thing EMS should do is to look for gang tattoos. If any are found then move on to another patient.
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