9-1-1 Where There is None: Trek Medics International Looks to Expand EMS Systems in Developing Countries

Trek Medics International, a US-based nonprofit organization that develops EMS systems in low-resource communities globally, is currently looking to expand their active field programs in the Dominican Republic and Tanzania. Together, these programs currently provide 24-7 EMS coverage to more than 200,000 people, and have responded to nearly 400 incidents since April 2015. To support expansion, Trek Medics has launched their Match 2016 fundraising campaign after securing a dollar-for-dollar matching donation up to $25,000 from Wilmington-based Bill and Ann Bresnan Foundation. They recently reached the halfway point of this campaign, raising $12,500 of the $25,000 to be matched. Trek Medics is a 501(c)(3)-registered organization whose mission is to improve EMS in communities with unreliable access to emergency care and transport. “Our approach is to leverage available resources to strengthen existing systems, whether formal or informal,” says founder Jason Friesen, EMT-P, MPH. “Central to this is Beacon, our text message-based emergency dispatching software that we designed specifically for communities where advanced dispatching technologies are inappropriate or unaffordable.” As part of the fundraising campaign, they have released a new video that shows recent footage from their field programs along with a description of how their Beacon software improves access to emergency care. To visit their Match 2016 fundraising page, go to www.trekmedics.org/Match2016
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Administration and Leadership Industry News Source Type: news