Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation

“We serve so that others may live.”

Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation saves and mitigates loss of lives and properties against accidents and calamities through the setting up of

nationwide paramedic network that completely provides emergency medical, rescue and prehospital care, rehabilitation of services, as well as training

programs that can effectively respond to the needs of the community.

History

July 1986

Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation was organized from the displaced paramedics of Mandaue Rescue Unit Foundation who  felt that there was a need to continue providing efficient and effective rescue and emergency medical services to the resident of Metro Cebu

ERUF was operational

April 22, 1988

The Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation Phils. Inc. or ERUF was already a corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commision

Mission-Vision

Mission

A safer and peaceful community attained through a service oriented Paramedic organization inspired by its Fraternal Volunteerism.

Vision

ERUF shall save lives and mitigate loss of property against accidents and calamities through the setting up of a nationwide paramedic network to competently provide emergency medical and pre-hospital care, rescue and rehabilitation services as well as training program that can effectively respond to the needs of the community.

Organizational Structure and Setup

The organizational set-up of ERUF follows functional lines with a Board of Trustees as the main policy-making body. The respective officers handle the

day-to-day operations. Members are grouped according to the different advisory councils namely: communications, operations, legal, technical and

medical. The organizational set-up is shown below.

Financials

ERUF’s revenues came from the following:

o 1% membership dueso 2% donationso 28% cebu city subsidyo 38% Lapu-Lapu subsidyo 18% EMSo 10% lectureso 3% other income

Advisory Council

Board of Trustees

Communications

Medical Advisory Council

Operations

Technical Advisory Council

Legal

Volunteer Paramedic Trainees

Trained EMT’s

Disbursements :

o 65% operationalo 6% acquisitiono 25% administrativeo 4% miscellaneous

Emergency Medical and Rescue Capabilities

Manpower

The work is handled by two shifts of paramedics who are on duty 24 hours a day at its main headquarters at Cebu Medical Society Compound, Banilad, Cebu and Sub-stations at Cebu City Sports Complex and Lapulapu City. To augment manpower requirements of ERUF, members are over a hundred volunteers who have been trained for several hundred hours on a broad range of subjects in the field of emergency medical treatment. The training of EMT volunteers includes physical conditioning and lectures that lasts for 6 months and continues every weekend thereafter. Lectures are taken from the members of the Medical Advisory Council and from the experts in the field of rescue operations. Also providing assistance to the paramedics are the members for the other advisory councils.

Classification of Membership:

32-Full Time Paramedics 152-Paramedic Volunteers 10-Operations Personnel 26-Communications Personnel 81-Medical Doctors (Board Certified and Specialists in the following

field: orthopedic, Surgery, cardiology, pulmonology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, pediatrics, psychiatry, nephrology, ophthalmology, radiology, OB-Gynecology, surgery and urology)

Vehicles

1-Command Vehicle

1-Medic Response Van 1-Maintenance Van 13-Ambulances 1-Trauma Van 2-Paramedic Response Vehicle 5-Fire Engines 1-Water Tanker 1-Enervan (45 KVA) 1-Advance Road Rescue Vehicle (ARRV) 2-Rescue Truck 1-Unimog – SAR Vehicle 1-Mobile Kitchen

Watercrafts

1-Boston Whaler-SAR 1-Aluminum Boat

Equipments

A. Communication

Base Radio stations are equipped with full line capabilities to include amateur, commercial, marine, air band, and single side band frequencies; portable radio transceivers for paramedics; mobile transceivers for all vehicles; two fixed repeaters; 1 portable repeater; quick response communication kit; and 5 mobile phones.The central dispatch station has 3 consoles and CAD operated using Powerphone Computer dispatch system.

B. Firefighting

Fire trucks are equipped with hoses, nozzles, adaptors, connectors, fire coats, proximity aluminum suits, self-contained breathing apparatus, and portable fire pumps; a quick response vehicle with light water for vehicle fires. Two trucks are capable of fighting oil and crash fires. All personnel have individual SCBA and has the capability to refill bottles on sight if needed.

C. Medical

EKG monitor defibrillators, AEDS, Respirators, ambubags, pulse oximeters, ACLS kits, first response kits, automatic/mechanical sphygmomanometers, medical rescue kits, drug kits, automatic portable ventilators, portable and manual suction machines, stretchers, glucometers, first response disaster kits, backboards, litters, etc.

D. High Rise and Mountain Search Rescue

Rappelling rope, ascenders, harness, rescue pulleys, tents, belts, carabiners, stoves, sleeping bags. CMS rescue bags, and portable Global Positioning System. The unit also has the latest 3rd Gen night Vision Device and Thermal Imager for SAR in the country.

E. CSSR/Extrication/Entrapment/Electrocution and Towing Rescue

Motor driven and manual extricators and cutters, towing bars, electrical winch, block and tackle, dragging chains, low and high pressure extrication bags, percussive tools, cinch rescue collars, porto power circular saw, extenders, rotary rescue saw, reciprocating saw, rotary hammer drill, demolition hammer, ventilators.

F. Water Rescue

Fiberglass boat with engine, aluminum boat, Boston-whaler: life preservers, life rings, oxygen cylinders, scuba and diving equipment. About 6 personnel are qualified rescue divers and unit has 10 sets of diving equipment.

G. Lighting System

Halogen headlamps, flashlights,Q-beams, forehead lamps, fog lights, dome lights, multitronic flashlights; hazard and rotary lights, 2 generators, enervan.

H. Training Equipment

Overhead projector, slide projector, personal computers, digital projector, resusci-anne shields, AHA-Laerdal ACLS simulator, OB training mannequin, actar mannequins, resusci-anne mannequin, skillmeter anne, training diskettes, intubation mannequin, IV training arm, Beta and VHS tapes on rescue training and operations.

I. Disaster Kit

Three (3) Triage and Treatment Tents, Surgical tent and emergency surgical equipment with anesthesia machine and autoclave, medical supplies that can serve 300 victims, portable kitchen, toilet and bath, trailer load of stretchers, food supplies for responding personnel that will last for a week.

Key Services of ERUF

Emergency Medical Services

Firefighting

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)

Technical High Angle Rescue and Rope Rescue

    

Haz-Mat

Dive Rescue

Confined Space and Cave-In Rescue

Air Crash Rescue

Responding to Emergency and Alarm Calls

Coded Alarms

Fire Alarms (100)Cardiac Emergencies (99)

Poisonings (88)Electrocution (77)

Drowning (66)Vehicular Emergencies (55)

Cave-ins (44)Shooting/Stabbings(33)

Gas Leaks (22)Suicides (11)

Safety Promotion and Disaster Preparedness Seminars

Barangay Disaster Brigades

Paramedics and Volunteers Continuing Education

Trainings Conducted By ERUF Paramedic Institute

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT COURSEInstructors: 20

Duration: 8 hours

ADVANCE FIRST AIDInstructors: 8

Duration: 24 hours

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANInstructors: 10 EMT’s, 4 Paramedics and 25 Doctors

Duration: 6 months

MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER COURSEInstructors: 10

Duration: 2 weeks

ADVANCE LIFE SUPPORT COURSEInstructors: 10 EMT’s, 10 Doctors

Duration: 1 week

BASIC TRAUMA COURSEInstructors: 10 Paramedics, 6 Doctors

Duration: 1 week

PEDIATRIC ADVANCE LIFE SUPPORTInstructors: 5 Paramedics, 3 Doctors

Duration: 1 week

BASIC FIRE FIGHTING COURSEInstructors: 5 (all foreign trained)

Duration: 1 month

USE AND MAINTENANCE OF SCBAInstructors: 4 (all foreign trained)

Duration: 2 days

ADVANCE ROAD RESCUE EXTRICATIONInstructors: 1 International Certified, 4 Foreign Trained Extrication

TechniciansDuration: 1 week

URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE COURSEInstructors: 4

Duration: 2 weeks

DISASTER MANAGEMENT COURSEInstructors: 3

Duration: 1 week

BASIC ROPE PRACTICEInstructors: 4

Duration: 3 days

SAFETY ON LIFE AT SEAInstructors: 4 (all foreign trained)

Duration: 2 weeks

SCUBA DIVINGInstructors: 4 (all foreign trained)

Duration: 1 week

PRE – HOSPITAL TRAUMA LIFE SUPPORTInstructors: 14 International Certified

Duration: 2 DAYS

HAZARDOUS MATERIALSInstructors: 1 International Certified

Duration: 1 month

COMBAT LIFE SAVER COURSEInstructors: 10

Duration: 2 weeks

BARANGAY DISASTER BRIGADEInstructors: 3

Duration: 1 week

Requirements for Becoming an ERUF Volunteer

Qualifications:

18 years old and above At least 2nd year college Physically and Mentally Fit Willing to undergo and excel in  training.

Online Application :

Resume with picture Application letter addressed to :

Mr. Herminio CortesOperations DirectorEmergency Rescue Unit Foundation

ERUF Headquarters

Base 1CMS Compound, Gov. Cuenco Ave.

Banilad, Cebu City

Tel. No.: (63) (32) 233-9300, (63) (32) 416-2664Fax No.: (63) (32) 232-7850

Base 2Lapulapu City

Tel. No.: (63) (32) 340-2994

Base 3Cebu City Sports Complex

Tel. No.: (63) (32) 255-7287

References:

www.eruf161.com

McBatiller III.Personal Interview. 3 February 2010.