GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Preparations are underway for the Sint Maarten Ambulance Services to be featured in a documentary that will be aired in Germany, according to Ambulance Department Head Cylred Richardson.
Richardson said that the documentary will showcase rescue teams at work around the world, and there will be a segment related to Sint Maarten.
The segment will be done in cooperation with Dr. Stefan Luhrs who has already gained a lot of experience about the rescue system of Sint Maarten. Dr. Luhrs works as a volunteer with the Steiger Foundation as Medical Director.
Recently the foundation was in Sri Lanka with Dr. Luhrs to document the medical rescue system there and they would now like to film and document the role of the Sint Maarten emergency services medical rescue system. This will be the first island of the Caribbean where a documentary is being filmed about the aforementioned by the foundation.
“In addition to the recordings, it is also of importance to introduce the wonderful people on the island and how well the medical care here works for the tourists and locals alike,” Ambulance Department Head Richardson pointed out.
The Bjorn Steiger Foundation draws its motivation from the terrible event that happened to the founding couple Ute and Siegfried Steiger in 1969: They lost their eight-year-old son Björn in a traffic accident and realized that there was no nationwide rescue service in Germany at the time.
Due to a lack of willingness in politics to create a rescue service, the architect couple got involved themselves and a short time later laid the foundation for Germany’s current rescue service. Since then, they have been committed to improving emergency aid.
Dr. Stefan Luhrs, an Emergency Doctor from Germany, has been working for the government for 40 years and has adopted Sint Maarten as his second home. He travels to the island at least two-three times a year and has expressed his love for the island after visiting for the first time 14 years ago on a cruise ship.
Richardson said, ever since then Dr. Luhrs loves visiting the island. “Over the last five-years I was brought in contact with him through our Fire Chief and we have developed a true brother relationship. He is always willing to use his contacts to assist us in whatever way possible for the Ambulance Department.
“In preparation for COVID-19 for example, he was able to assist us in acquiring Mist machines to vaporize and clean the ambulance vehicles. Dr. Luhrs has always assisted the island in whatever way possible besides his regular job and his voluntary work with the foundation,” Richardson concludes.
The film crew from the Bjorn Steiger Foundation arrived on the island on Thursday and are expected to leave the island on March 10 after completing the film project.
The Ambulance Department falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA).
