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From the Outreach Emergency Service Program

Cambodia – A Country in Need  April 2002
A Plea for Help. Excerpts from a letter from Bill Whitney, an American fire fighter, after visiting Cambodia for the first time in March 2002 - written to members of Side by Side International, a Tokyo based charity group.

　　　…I understand that you may be able to get this information to a helpful soul within the Japanese Fire Service in one of the cities.  An email contact that we could communicate directly with would be most helpful.
 

　　　The issues that I am facing with the Fire Service in Cambodia are as follows:

　　　1. Within the entire country, there are approximately 13 fire trucks that still run and could potentially be available for service.  Four of these are based with the Interior Department in Phnom Penh, 6 belong to Phnom Penh Fire, 2 belong to Siem Reap, and there is reported to be 1 in Bantay Meanchay.  With respect to PPFD and SRFD, none of the engines are fully functional.  What I do know is this:

a)  None of the engines can draft water, even though supplies are available.

b)  Between PPFD and SRFD, there is not more than 300 feet of useable hose.

c)  They have no tools, such as axes, forcible entry tools, ropes, breathing apparatus, etc.

d)  Protective clothing, such as coats, boots, helmets, gloves, and pants are almost none existent  PPFD has a few sets, SRFD has maybe 3.

e)  PP is the only city with hydrants and they only have 30.  PPFD can only connect to 4 of them. These are hydrants that have National Standard Threads on them.  The other 26 are of a Japanese style.  The orifices are reported to be 35mm and 65mm and look as if they are a quarter-turn variety.  If we can get adapters to fit the "26," it would be an immediate relief.

　　  Imagine thinking of 4.5 million people being protected in PP by 6 fire engines that may or may not start and 80 fire fighters. Comparatively speaking, in Seattle, with less than a million in population, the area is covered by roughly 35 fire engines, 11 ladder trucks and about 800 firefighters.

　　　I am thinking that fire fighting equipment for the outlying areas will not be all that difficult to obtain/build/put together.  However, funding that portion will be a bit of a challenge.
 

　　　Due to the nature of the hazards in the larger cities, the quality and type of equipment needed is more critical.  Therefore, the need to discuss with potentially someone within the Japanese fire service would be helpful.  What we may call a fire hydrant may be called something different.  What we call a nozzle, they may call something else, etc.  All of it is absolutely "do-able" as it's simply a matter of working through common terms & common goals.  Who knows, some of the local fire fighters may want to travel to Cambodia and we'll teach together!

　　　We’re looking for all types of medical equipment.  In Cambodia, with the hospitals and ambulances that they have, well.... most were pretty bare.  The program will be needing equipment such as the following:

Blood pressure cuffs
Stethoscopes
Oxygen cylinders
Oxygen masks and tubing, in fact, any oxygen equipment
gauze
various size dressings
medical tape
CPR mannequins
Defibrillators for the heart
all types of drugs....he'll need to supply that list...although it will be minimal at first.
Latex gloves
airways
pillows
splints for broken bones
gurneys for the patients to lay on
eye wash solutions
thermometers
scissors
tweezers
even bags to hold this equipment in the ambulances.

　　　About the clinics that they have in the outlying villages:  They have buildings, but no supplies.  Most of these supplies will be the same as what you would have on the ambulances in the US or Japan.  Additional equipment would be decent lighting, beds and bedding, and as we go, the list will take on more of the appearance of a small hospital.  Actually, these little clinics will be like miniature hospitals that will fulfill the need until the patient can make the 2 to 4 hour journey to one of the larger cities to the hospital there.  Again, what we saw was pretty well NOT equipped, but we can work on that as time goes on.

　　　Most clinics and hospital don't have anything or very little with respect to supplies/equipment. 
 

　　　I don't know how to thank you enough for assisting with this daunting task that we at OESP have taken on. 
 

　　　Thank you again!

　　　　　　　　Bill

If you are able to help with any of the above needs, please contact

Side by Side International

 e-mail: mail@side-by-side-intl.org

Tel/Fax: 03-3795-2155