There’s a safety in knowing if you’re ever hurt or sick, a doctor and an emergency room is only a short ambulance ride away.

But for many communities in Mexico, there is no such guarantee.

In fact, according to, Karl Samuels, the current coordinator of the Los Amigos program — a Rotary partnership in southern Alberta that acquires medical vehicles to donate — some communities only have one ambulance for 100,000 people.

“The largest cause of agricultural death was caused by the ride to the hospital in the back of a pick-up truck,” Samuels said in a presentation to the Pincher Creek Emergency Service Commission on April 25.

They met with the commission to thank them for their dedication to the Los Amigos project. In the past five years, Pincher Creek has donated five vehicles to the program — the most out of any community that participates, other than Lethbridge itself.

Once the vehicles are retired in their community and replacements have already been budgeted for, the leftovers can be used for a variety of purposes — participation in a program like Los Amigos is one of them.

The program has donated 23 ambulances, 16 handi-buses, six fire-trucks and six school buses as well.

In addition to acquiring the vehicles, however, there’s also the process of getting them down to Mexico.

Rotary volunteers end up spending two and a half weeks driving the vehicles down, dealing with licensing and paying out of pocket for their own meals and expenses.

In total, it takes roughly $7,000 to get a vehicle from southern Alberta to the intended community in Mexico.

And when the vehicle arrives? There’s also the process of training.

Pincher Creek’s very own Lynn Brasnett has participated in firefighting training alongside the Los Amigos program: and its no small feat doing hands-on firefighting in the scorching Mexican heat while trying to work through a language barrier.

But incoming program coordinator and rotarian Doug Thornton said its absolutely worth it.

Now, children who have never been able to go to school or on field trips have vehicles to help ferry them to their destination. Thornton said when the vehicles get to their destination, entire towns of people come out to herald its arrival.

“Know that we appreciate [the donation],” Thornton said to the Pincher Creek Emergency Services Commission. “And they appreciate it too.”