This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Click here to watch a video of this week’s podcast, with host Rob Lawrence and guest Chris Manson!
Ambulances for Ukraine lead Chris Manson returns to provide an update on the program that is now not only sending ambulances, but also fire trucks and SUVs to Ukraine. To date. U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine has delivered 38 ambulances and 6 fire trucks to Ukraine. A further 12 ambulances, 2 fire engines and several SUVs are to be shipped in July.
Host Rob Lawrence and Chris recap the program so far and the tasks that the donated vehicles are be put to in country. Sadly, some of the ambulances donated earlier in the year have been destroyed due to hostile action. Chris issues a further call to action for donating ambulances, fire trucks and SUVs. Ukraine has now moved from defensive to offensive operations, and every vehicle is needed. As Chris describes, “If anyone gives me an ambulance, a fire engine or an SUV, I will get that vehicle into the fight.”
In the video edition of this episode of EMS One-Stop, Chris has provided photos of the vehicles on their way to Ukraine as well as images and video of the vehicles in action and the brave crews on the front lines that operate them.
TOP QUOTES FROM CHRIS MANSON
“The reality is the Russians in this conflict are targeting first responders, and it is one of the things they like to do. They will shell an area, cause havoc in an area with some sort of military strike, and then they will wait until the first responders respond, and when they do, they will target them.”
“Like any firefighter in any city department, what’s the first thing you want to do when a kid wanders around the fire truck? You want to sit them in the seat or put the helmet on right? So we put the first kid in, got them out, put the second kid in, I turned around and 20 kids are lined up. I went through those 20 kids and the 20 turned into 100, it felt like the entire town came out.”
“I feel fairly confident now, that several of those vehicles have been destroyed.”
“If anyone gives me an ambulance, a fire engine or an SUV, I will get that vehicle into the fight.”
EPISODE CONTENTS
0:30 – Rob intro
01:17 – Introduction Chris Manson
01:38 – U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine backstory
04:53 – Why would we give serviceable ambulances to Ukraine if we still have a shortage in the U.S.?
06:38 – Current stats of vehicles donated
07:30 – The logistics of shipping a vehicle to Ukraine
10:34 – The road drive from Germany and through Poland
11:21 – Tracking ambulances – a big no-no!
12:40 – Distribution of vehicles in Ukraine
14:36 – The moment Chris arrives to hand over a vehicle down range
16:50 – Vehicles in military units liveried into camouflage paint
19:00 – The need for fire trucks and SUV/patrol vehicles
22:01 – Call to action – we need ambulances, fire trucks and SUVs – now!
24:00 – Where the fire trucks are deployed
25:15 – The Ukrainians can fix anything (so it doesn’t matter if the donated vehicle has a few faults)
27:55 – Final thoughts
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Chris Manson is the vice president of government relations for OSF HealthCare, a 15-hospital health system operating out of Peoria, Ill. He is a former firefighter from California and he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST
U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine @ambulancesU
