Battalion Chief Volunteers Time in Africa

Somewhere in Uganda, an infant named “Ian” is growing up in the loving care of his mother.  Childbirth in parts of this battered east African country often happens at home, and the infant mortality rate is one of the highest in the world.  But little Ian was not delivered at home.  Instead, he was born in a clinic established by Oregon-based Medical Teams International.  And Ian was delivered by TVF&R Battalion Chief Ian Yocum, who was volunteering his time there.  The mother was so touched by the experience, she named her child after Chief Yocum.

“Volunteering for Medical Teams International has been an incredible experience,” Yocum says, “the work that they do for developing countries really makes a positive difference.”

Firefighters work with the Medical Teams International to pay for the cost of the trips.  Some TVF&R firefighters who aren’t able to make such a commitment donate their vacation time to fellow firefighters so they can afford to volunteer.

This was not Yocum’s first trip with Medical Teams International.  Yocum and several other TVF&R firefighters traveled to Sri Lanka in 2007 and he has also volunteered in Vietnam.  “You realize how well trained and lucky we are here at TVF&R when you travel to someplace like Vietnam or Africa,” Yocum says, “many of those people have no reliable access to emergency medicine, and we can help teach them how to help themselves.”

“I see our involvement with Medical Teams International as a chance to make the world a better place through volunteering,” Yocum says.  Chief Yocum has helped to recruit roughly a dozen TVF&R firefighters to volunteer their vacation time to travel to developing countries and help care for the sick.

“But it’s much bigger than that,” Yocum says, “many of these communities in Uganda and Sri Lanka and elsewhere still don’t have 9-1-1 service.  There’s no-one they can call.  We’re teaching them how to build an emergency response infrastructure from the ground up.” 

During Chief Yocum’s most recent trip to Uganda, he helped teach local officials how to make their ambulance service more efficient and worked to assess other needs in the area.  “Eventually, we could help establish an organized EMS service in Uganda. This could be huge,” Yocum says.

Two other TVF&R firefighters are scheduled to volunteer for Medical Teams International in Vietnam in October.  Chief Yocum plans to volunteer in Vietnam next year.