Rotary Clubs Donate Rescue Vehicle and Jaws of Life to Red Cross of Puerto Peñasco.

April is already a big month of the year for Red Cross of Mexico because it’s the month when all the local Red Cross offices across the country send their loyal volunteers to the main thoroughfares with their red and white collection jars and boxes placing a sticker on your windshield in exchange for a donation. This April, thanks to the determined generosity of six Rotary Clubs in Arizona and Tijuana, the Red Cross of Puerto Peñasco received a much needed Rescue Vehicle equipped with the “Jaws of Life” vehicle extraction tool that has been responsible for saving countless lives since its invention.

The funds for this cherished vehicle and equipment, valued at $23,000 to $25,000 US dollars, were raised through the joint efforts of the Rotary Clubs of Mesa, Tempe, Tempe South, Phoenix East, and Sun Lakes of USA Rotary Clubs District 5510 and Tijuana West Rotary in District 4100, Mexico.

Representatives from all the donor clubs were in Puerto Peñasco over the weekend of April 13 for an official dedication ceremony to transfer keys to the officials and board of our local Red Cross at their facility on Fremont Street.  A crowd of more than thirty listened intently as Manuel Milán; President of the Tijuana Rotary Club praised the work and progress achieved by the leadership, staff and board of our Rocky Point Red Cross. Red Cross President, Lic. Jorge Valdés Félix, responded with an elegant expression of appreciation for the incredible effort put forth by all the participating Rotary Clubs to make this day a reality for the many citizens who will surely benefit from the addition of this service vehicle, not to mention the lives that can now be saved with the new Jaws of Life capability.

Keys to the rescue vehicle were formally passed to President Lic. Félix who then called upon the Commander of Volunteer personnel, Pedro Palacio, the individual with ultimate responsibility for assigning usage of all vehicles and equipment for Red Cross. The president invited Commander Palacio to officially start their new rescue vehicle, which he proceeded to carry out to the enthusiastic applause from the audience. After a short photo session the attendees were treated to lunch and the opportunity to inspect the rescue vehicle and Jaws of Life display complete with its own generator power. Four of the active volunteer medical technicians proudly posed for us behind the Jaws of Life display.

As if the vehicle and life saving equipment weren’t enough, the Mesa Rotary group arrived a day early and began painting and making improvements to the Red Cross facility which will help reopen a patient bay area that is one of the goals of Administrative Director, C.P. Faustino Reyes.

The Jaws of Life is a complex, heavy piece of equipment that requires certification to operate. The Rotary clubs and our local Red Cross are looking for anyone who is certified in the use of this equipment who can thoroughly train Red Cross personnel in its operation. Ideally it would be someone qualified to give certified training so graduates could receive official certification in the operation of this equipment. If you are reading this blog and have the expertise needed, or know someone who does, please contact the Red Cross here in Puerto Peñasco by phone or email at: (office phone) 638-383-2266 or Director Faustino Reyes’ email faustino_reyes@hotmail.com; or the President, Lic. Jorge Valdés Félix by email at: valdezfelix@yahoo.com.

For more information on the Red Cross of Puerto Peñasco and how you can help, please click on this link to our blog that details the valuable services that you may not know are available and the types of supplies and other items that are always needed: https://www.sonoranresorts.mx/?p=8272

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