Phillip Hull (right), head of Community Medical Services, with Terance Brown, a volunteer on rescue and scene protection. This latter function is vitally important in protecting the paramedics at an accident scene allowing them to render assistance to the injured without themselves getting killed by passing traffic.

LET'S HELP THE HELPERS

There is a group of voluntary medical and mechanical experts who, under the leadership of Phillip Hull of Community Medical Services, position themselves at the top of Van Reenens Pass every holiday and peak traffic period to render assistance to the public - including the truckers. They deserve our recognition and appreciation - and some funding would also not be out of place either writes Patrick O'Leary

It was the late President of the USA, John Kennedy, who said: "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." Phillip Hull, head of Corporate Medical Services, obviously gave some thought to this statement and decided he could do a lot for his country and its citizens.

It is thus, whenever there is peak traffic travelling up or down the N3, you will find him and his team of volunteers stationed at Van Reenens Pass from where they render essential medical and mechanical services to motorists and truckers.

Corporate Medical Services is a company which provides medical services on events such as press car launches. This is an income producing operation and Hull uses funds generated from this business to fund the voluntary Road Service operations of the Community Medical Services. In other words, he uses his own money to help the truckers and the public.

Readers might recall a few years ago when FleetWatch first came across this fine group of people. We were amazed to hear that the entire exercise was not only conducted on a voluntary basis with each member of the team giving up holiday and family time, but that it was funded by Hull digging into his own pocket.

FleetWatch immediately committed itself to funding the fuel component of the project and we then contacted Netstar for additional funds to help these guys. To the credit of Harry Louw, Netstar didn't hesitate in coming forward with funds which helped Hull over that Christmas period.

The rear of the Road Service Rescue Unit incorporates all the necessary emergency warning lights. Phillip Hull paid around R90 000 out of his own pocket for this vehicle and its equipment - all in the interests of helping others out on the road.

Still on the scene
Over this past Easter holiday period, my family and I stopped at the Caltex garage in Van Reenens to see if they were there again. And so they were - once again helping to fix up the injured, comfort the dying and get the stranded back on the road. And once again, Phillip Hull was funding the entire project out of his own pocket.

"We had a bad one last night involving a taxi but we were able to get to the scene quickly and lives were saved because of that," Hull told me as we drank coffee and chatted with some of the team members.

The night before they had also helped a woman whose car broke down. She was travelling alone with her two kids. "She was terrified of being hijacked or mugged on the side of the road but we soon got her going again," he says. How any woman can travel on her own with two kids in today's climate of high crime is beyond us!

These are just two incidents. There were many more. And although the trucks were running smoothly - albeit it too fast in many instances according to Hull - there have been many occasions in the past where Hull and his team have helped save lives at truck accident scenes. They have also helped at truck breakdowns.

Because of the intensity of the operation, Hull has now purchased a Mazda 2,5 diesel bakkie at a cost of R63 000 and spent a further R22 000 on fitting emergency lights, a bar light and siren, a canopy conversion, an upgrade to the suspension and other safety refinements. And that excludes the medical equipment carried.

"If one takes into account the holiday periods, the long weekends and other high traffic periods such as the Comrades, we're spending between 45 and 55 days a year at Van Reenens and we really needed another fully equipped Road Service Vehicle," he says.

Recognition of vital work
That the work they do is vital is endorsed by John Schnell, Director of KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate who told FleetWatch some time ago that the resources Hull and his team added to the efforts of the provincial resources was invaluable. We asked him if this was still so and received this note from him.

"They do outstanding work - all on a voluntary basis - and are to be commended for bringing closer to the motoring public that all important 'golden hour' so vital for survival in trauma cases.

GIVING OF TIME Clive Bagg, one of BMW's top technicians, gives up his time as a volunteer to help others.

"Over the years, they have built up a sound and enviable reputation for service to mankind in the greater Van Reenens Pass areas. For humanitarian reasons, they have also expanded response in emergencies to Oliviershoek Pass and on occasion, to Ladysmith. They deserve our thanks, admiration and support for the vital task they perform not only as paramedics but also in respect of technical and safety support."

Despite such recognition of the vital service they provide, how's this one? Hull's pocket also gets tapped into by the N3TC which charges a toll fee every time one of the emergency vehicles goes through a toll plaza - which is often.

Yep, they have to pay on the way to an accident and again on the way back. Get it! They are being charged toll fees by the N3TC to go help people. That's ludicrous. Surely the N3TC won't go broke if it allows free passage of Hull's emergency vehicles through the plazas. We believe negotiations are underway to rectify this. Good grief!

ASSISTING TRAFIC CONTROL Patrols on the roadside near Harrismith - an area covered by Kwa-Zulu Natal Traffic Inspectorate and assisted by the Roadside Assistance Project - headed by Phillip Hull.

Get involved
FleetWatch recently received a press statement from the Committee of Active Road Safety (CARS) in which the chairman, Ian Auret, urged companies to get more involved in road safety.

"We urge senior management, especially in our big companies, to realise they can help in making a big difference if they make road safety a priority. The benefits such action will contribute will flow through to themselves, their employees and the country as a whole. We implore them to all start making a concerted effort to assist the cause," says Auret.

Admittedly the message was directed at getting companies to make a conscious decision to integrate safe road usage into the existing policies and procedures of their own companies.

"They need to make it part of their induction programmes, ongoing safety programmes, training programmes and their general communication with employees. They have notice boards, employee meetings and in many instances, special company publications. All of these can and should be used to emphasise the merit of safe traffic practices," is what Auret said.

However, we want to urge some company out there not only to follow the wise advise of CARS, but to take it a step further by adopting the Community Medical Services project of Phillip Hull as an extension of their internally focussed road safety project.

Yes, we know the saying 'there are no free lunches' and in this regard, the opportunity does exist to brand Van Reenens Pass over the peak periods - and even the vehicles used in the operation. There are marketing opportunities. However, while this is important for participation, the good corporate citizenship and caring nature of the project will stand out anyway.

These people are unsung heroes. They do a sterling job and deserve support. After all, it could be your family - or your truck driver - which gets to live as a result of their being there in that critical 'golden hour'. If any company wants further information, please contact me personally at FleetWatch.