2022 HURST Equipment Arrives!

We want to thank our community of online donors on GoFundme, most being out of the UK for helping out with 5,000$ that went towards this overall 11k$ purchase of quality “gently” used extrication equipment! The gear was purchased from the Puyallup PXTeam out of Washington State. It was then shipped last Spring to New Mexico where CDS has a supportive network of Catholic Churches. The Comandos picked the equipment up last week, drove overland in some donated ambulances, and just arrived at the Base Central in San Salvador.

The equipment is a cutter, spreader, a ram, two hoses with quick connects/couplings and a Simul pump. The pump can run two tools at the same time. This gear is used to extricate survivors or victims of Motor Vehicle Accidents. They are also used in different method of injury contexts such as industrial accidents and natural disasters such as earthquakes. Our relationship with PXTEAM goes back to 2014 when they offered our first responders, members of the Red Cross, Green Cross, National Civilian Police and Firefighters the first National Extrication training course. Please continue to donate to enhance the mission statement of Comandos de Salvamento! Al servir el prójimo!!

Extrication Tool Purchase

Over the course of four years, Salvamed has managed to acquire just over $5k on gofundme. We realize the majority of funds donated have come from the UK. Donors explain that they learned about the Comandos from a documentary by Simon Reeves.

The tools consist of: HURST Simul Pump, Large Cutter and Spreader and a dual Stage Ram along with two hoses that also have the Streamline couplings. They are boxed up and ready to ship to New Mexico. They will later travel overland to El Salvador to rescue lives on the restless streets of San Salvador. Salvamed wants to thank HURST for the effort their engineers put into designing such rugged and powerful equipment.

Simul Pump
Ram, Cutter, Jaws of Life

Hurst Donation Continues to Save Lives

Comandos de Salvamento utilize the HURST equipment obtained from PXTeam on a daily basis. Said equipment have extricated hundreds of Salvadorans involved in motor-vehicle accidents. We here at Salvamed continue to save money to purchase more HURST equipment in order support the mission of CDS.

Urban First Response Extrication utilizing a pneumatic spreader as another offers c-spine stabilization and emotional support to the patient.

CDS Celebrates 60 years

Salvamed reaches out in solidarity to our friends and colleagues of Comandos de Salvamento wishing them a happy 60th year anniversary.

Members of the Junta Directiva of CDS stand in honor of their work over the last 60 years.

During COVID, Comandos has continued to offer support to the Salvadoran people via emergency support only such as MVAs, and trauma.

Salvamed continues to support the mission of Comandos de Salvamento by mentoring their staff in the continued use of WordPress, Twitter and other social networking platforms. Salvamed also has contracted a volunteer to start translating their website into Arabic to continue to make comandosdesalvamento.org multilingual.

Salvamed COORDINATES DONATION

Salvamed was able to mediate a deal between The Comandos de Salvamento and the PX team for some “gently used” extrication gear. This effort was coordinated with Rony Calderon, and other contacts made in Los Angeles to get the gear shipped to San Salvador and the Central Base of CDS.

Microbús Extrication Rescue

Below is a prime example of the HURST donated equipment via pxteam and Hi-Lift rescue Jack donated by salvamed is still going strong!! The patient was secured, transported to higher level of care and survived the ordeal with psychoemotional support on scene and in the ambulance. Good job Comandos!

Footage shot by Comando documentary photographer “Kamala” Carlos Fuentes

Comandos Shortlisted for an Oscar Nomination

We are excited to announce that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have put the movie Los Comandos on a shortlist for possible nomination for best documentary short!

Our representative protagonist in the film is Comando Mimi who is stationed at la Base Central in downtown San Salvador and started training in EMS, vehicular extrication and high angle rescue in 2013 under the supervision of veteran Comando Edgar Jhonny Ramos.

The film is directed by Juliana Schatz Preston and Joshua Bennet.

We started a gofundme for the comandos here.

 

A Tragic Loss

14yo

SALVAMED laments the sudden death of 14yo Comando de Salvamento first responder Eric Beltrán. On April 10th, 2016 Erick was in uniform and on shift waiting to go out on emergencies in Quezaltepeque when two individuals entered and shot him. Our prayers for our brothers and sisters of Comandos de Salvamento and also to Erick’s family. SALVAMED will continue to support the mission of CDS to offer EMS services to all people in need even though El Salvador is currently the murder Capitol of the world.

The U.S. Embassy has recognized his work and sacrifice as has numerous media outlets in Country.

Salvamed @ Iron Maiden

Mark Hoffman flew to San Salvador to assist CDS in offering security at Iron Maiden’s tour for The Book of Souls. The Comandos arrived on scene early since Salvadorans are hardcore Maiden fans and some had been standing in line for over 12 hours in the blazing sun. Basic first aid stabilization was offered to those suffering from heat exhaustion.

Thank You Janet Brown at Confluence Health!

Salvamed would like to formally offer a handshake of thanks to Janet Brown and her family who recently made a financial donation towards the purchase of a Hi-Lift First Responder Rescue Jack that was recently donated to Comandos de Salvamento and is currently part of their urban extrication squad and saving lives!

UDR

Rescue Jack Arrives in Country

Mark meeting with Roberto Cruz and other team members of the CDS extrication team.
Mark meeting with Roberto Cruz and other team members of the CDS extrication team.

Salvamed donated another medium sized first responder hi-lift Jack to the central base of Comandos de Salvamento today in San Salvador. The Jack was given directly to the Urban Extrication Rescue Squad and Executive director Roberto Cruz. Yesterday, Mark also participated in two deep water simulated rescues with the Comandos and the Salvadoran Airforce in order to prepare for  the upcoming Holy Week vacation at Majahual Beach.

Another Donation and Solidarity

Lovo getting his first try on the first responder jack.
Lovo getting his first try on the first responder jack.

Salvamed would like to again thank Hi-Lifts Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve Dowden for getting us a great price on another mid size First Responder Jack that is heading to El Salvador with Mark Hoffman this March 21st.  The Jack will be utilized by the Central Base Urban Rescue team of Comandos de Salvamento to extricate patients involved in MVAs and will probably see immediate use during Holy week holidays this April.

Salvamed will also be participating in the yearly simulated shallow and deep water rescues in collaboration with the Salvadoran Airforce and Comandos de Salvamento this March 22nd at Majahual beach near La Libertad.

Mark with Jhonny @ Majahual 2009
Mark with Jhonny @ Majahual 2009

Hurst Donation Arrives

Salvamed would like to thank Jeff Pugh of the PXTeam for connecting us with a Hurst Donation earlier this year. Father Mike of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in New Mexico was able to store the equipment until the Comandos de Salvamento could come up this last November to pick it up. Father Mike provides a donated Ambulance each year for Salvadoran EMS. CDS drove it overland with all the new equipment. This equipment will be put to good use in saving many lives.

Victor tries not to break his back while lifting this freshly donated Jaws of Life.
Victor tries not to break his back while lifting this freshly donated Jaws of Life.
First responder Comandos organize the gear
First responder Comandos organize the gear
Veteran Comando enjoying his new Christmas present.
Veteran Comando enjoying his new Christmas present.

Devin Price Training 2014

Medic Devin Price of San Diego and three of his colleagues trained 50 CDS First Responders this last Week. Monday and Tuesday was all about ABC’s, CPR and the use of the AED. Wednesday and Thursday focused on trauma; mechanism of injury, definition and recognition of shock and priority vital signs. The remainder of the class is rotating through the c-spine station, extrication and patient packaging/movement through Friday.

Devin was able to obtain donations from the following agencies:

1. The NATIONAL CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT donated 9 “Cardiac Science” AED’s which have a value of about $10,000.

2. American Medical Response (AMR) was kind enough to donate approximately 60 pair of uniform pants in various sizes, the majority of which have never been worn and still had their tags on them.

Devin’s EMS instructors included Cal Cronin, a paramedic from San Diego and also works as an ocean lifeguard in San Diego.

Colton Poore, a paramedic student at Southwestern College in San Diego and is about a month away from finishing up his training.

Corey Leal, a paramedic at AMR and this is his first trip out of the USA.
Comandos de Salvamento Governing Board members Efraim Solis and Roberto Cruz are always content with the level of professionalism and spirit of Solidarity that Devin has been offering Comandos for over 14 years.

Facilitation of HURST Donation!

Salvamed has mediated a HURST donation for the Comandos de Salvamento Urban Rescue Squad! We thank Jeff Pugh of PXTEAM whom Salvamed introduced to CDS last December for the First National Extrication workshop. Jeff informed us that the Comandos have, “a heart of a Lion” and was impressed with the amount of work they do using run down broken equipment.  Jeff then contacted Paul Felegy, the Central America Regional Sales Manager of HURST Jaws of Life who then donated a SP510 Spreader, R422 Ram, S311 Cutter, a P650 Quad machine and 1 Case of High Pressure fluid. The estimated price for this gear new is between 20-30k! HURST will ship the equipment to Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Albuquerque our contact Father Mike Shea who will store it until Comandos come pick it up later this year. Congratulations CDS and thanks HURST!

1st National Extrication Workshop in El Salvador

2013_1_PXTEAM

 

Salvamed would like to thank PXTEAM members Jeff Pugh, Charlie Kemp, Anthony John, Andrew Krasner, Agustin, and Ryan Taylor for making todays class a great success. The course included students from the Green Cross, Bomberos Nacionales, Comandos de Salvamento, and the National Civilian Police branch of the UMO, Unidad de Mantenimiento de Orden.  Knowledge acquired focused on scene size up, stabilization, and how to safely use hydraulic and manual tools. All teams represented today are included on the recently developed National USAR team.This workshop would not have been made possible without the combined forces of Salvamed, PXTEAM, Glasswing International along with Hi-Lift vice president Steve Dowden who donated a First Responder Jack last year and contributed another for this class. Salvamed has now paved the way for future possible business agreement and sponsorship of El Salvador rescue groups from HURST, RINGERS, AJAX, and HI-LIFTamong others.

PXTeam Training in El Salvador Secured!

Captureee

We have finally mediated and secured 6 members of the Puyallup Extrication Team to go to El Salvador the first week of December to offer their 200 level of basic extrication! Joint efforts are being coordinated by in country support Glasswing International but we are in desperate need of some Hi-lift First Responder Jacks and other funding for the 2 day course that will teach over 60 Comandos and members of the National Civilian Police, Bomberos Nacionales, Green Cross, and the Red Cross. We only have 2 months left so we are trying to crowdfund through indieagogo. Please donate.

This site is protected by wp-copyrightpro.com