Dr. Miguel Bautista, Division Chief with Scappoose Fire District, deploys to the Ukraine region to support the ongoing humanitarian needs in the region that have resulted from the Russian invasion of the country. Chief Bautista is a member of a non-profit Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) team, Empact Northwest. They are a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) providing rescue, medical, and logistical support to those affected by disaster worldwide; preparedness support to communities in need; and professional rescue training. Chief Bautista is a Disaster Medical Technician and has been a member of the team since 2015.
Many Ukrainian refugees crossing the border need basic primary care services as they cross, exhausted from traveling for many hours or even days trying to escape the destructions of their homes. Countless refugees also have pre-existing medical conditions that have gone untreated during this crisis. Chief Bautista is joining a medical group who will assist in providing medical care and logistical support alongside many other organizations responding to the needs of the Ukrainian people. His team will work to serve refugees and finalize the arrangements for our months-long mission.
Scappoose Fire District is proud to support its members who serve on state, regional, national, and international teams. SRFD currently has 2 chief officers and one career personnel serving on teams that deploy to wildfires, humanitarian disasters, National Security Special Events and search & rescue efforts. The work they do serves the public’s immediate needs.
While some might think the absence of an employee on a deployment is a significant hardship, the impact is short lived. The operational experiences, networking and logistical challenges on large scale incidents, when brought home, provide a level of capability and actionable experience that will help guide our day-to-day incidents, but better prepare us for the large incidents that we do not have all the time.
We wish Chief Bautista and his team the best and look forward to their safe return in the next couple of weeks.
If you would like to support Empact Northwest and their Ukraine mission, you can go to their website www.empactnorthwest.org
Source: Empact Northwest