Sustained levels of readiness for medical and emergency responders

Those involved in the medical profession are currently on the front line in the battle against a global pandemic.

While doctors in the nation’s hospitals fight Covid-19, the men and women on the ground continue to look out for the victims of common trauma.

Brave paramedics and ambulance drivers are no strangers to rigorous health precautions and stringent sanitation procedures. The general public’s sudden focus on contracting or transmitting bacteria has been commonplace. “First responders are exposed to various hazards all the time, and the risk of contracting these hazards is always high,” stated Christopher Montgomery of Emergency Control South Africa (ECSA).

This volunteer fire, search and rescue team form part of the essential services and will be on standby throughout the lockdown. Motor-vehicle accidents are the crew’s bread and butter, and Chris relayed a thankful decrease in incidents in recent days, saying, “Seeing four vehicles pass our stand-off point every hour was somewhat strange, so crews resorted to a dancing competition in the parking lot of a deserted petrol station forecourt to keep themselves entertained and busy”.

With the lockdown now in place, Chris has already relayed an alarming amount of activity on the roads. “Quite a few people on the road at the moment. Seen five early-morning joggers already,” he said, while out on the first morning of the lockdown.

Fully prepared for the challenges on the horizon, he asserted, “We will respond and assist wherever we can. Every day and night we are out there and with every incident, the risk of the unknown is something we face.”