By Nkosenhle sibisi
The Westville Weekly Gazette sat on the couch with South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) reservist Warren Brauns. He is also the co-founder of Specialised Tactical Accident Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T), an emergency rescue non-profit organisation based in Waterfall, Hillcrest. His organisation was at the forefront, helping victims during the April floods which left many people homeless and claimed over 40 lives. Brauns shared more about his journey…
Westville Weekly Gazette (WWG): What Ignited your love for rescue and emergency services?
Warren Brauns (WB): I was born with a passion to help people in need and have always been involved from a youngster volunteering my time whether it is with animals or people. At an incredibly early age I was brought up with little choice and knew what it was like to struggle. I promised myself that I would help those I could when I could and decided to do this in a unique way by EMS. I have been extremely fortunate to have been involved in multiple disciplines which includes but not limited to been a part of NSRI, A SAPS Reservist, a SANDF Medical Reservist, been a part of two voluntary medical organisations of which one of them I was the founder and one voluntary high angle search and rescue organisation.
WWG: What keeps you going?
WB: This is a hard one as often we say ‘that’s it or I am done, I have done my bit’, then you get a call where the difference you can make for a patient or their loved one is huge, and you look around and think how different the circumstances could have been. Getting recognition from someone who is higher qualified than you, and getting told that because of you, the person that you helped will make it. Being able to bring comfort to a person in what is their toughest moment and guide families in the right direction with the correct support is very satisfying. However, the biggest thing that keeps me going is my family. I often watch and listen to my twin daughters who constantly ask me questions and who always want to help, I know they look up to me and I often hear them telling people how cool their dad is.
WWG: How has the community responded to your non-profit organisation?
WB: The communities have been amazing, we often do long Search and Rescue Operations and often we don’t know what we are getting ourselves into until we are with the patient and then decisions are made on how to get them out and to safety. These rescues can take anything from three hours to 18 Hours. Often we have put a call out to the communities for assistance with refreshments and the community don’t hesitate to assist; in some cases, it was every second weekend for a while and every time support was received. The support we received during the KZN flood disaster was humbling, we had so much support in terms of looking after the team on the ground in terms of refreshments, keeping vehicles on the roads, vet bills and repairs and maintenance for our equipment. (Often well after hours). The community plays an incredibly valuable role in our organisation and every single thing we have received whether it is a prayer, phone call or donation is highly appreciated.
WWG: What are some of the challenges you have faced during some of the operations?
WWG: When it comes to search and rescue, accurate information is critical. Every rescue operation is planned, and a JOC (Joint Operational Command) is set up. Rescue work takes time and sometimes we need specialised equipment which takes time to get to an incident. We are incredibly fortunate in that our S.T.A.R.T members are cross trained and can send back accurate information related to patient care and incidents allowing us to send the correct people to the incident.
WWG: Do you think there should be more emergency voluntary organisations in local communities?
I feel that there should be more volunteers, however in the field of Emergency Medical Services and Search and Rescue there is no quick in and out. The teams train incredibly hard and constantly prepare themselves for calls that may never happen, but should an incident occur, we know they are prepared and are able to drop everything to assist the full-time teams where needed.
WWG: Take us through the period of the KZN floods when your organisation was in the forefront?
WB: The floods were an interesting time where all our different skill sets were put to the test. Our first call was a vehicle that was washed off a bridge. Little did we know this was only the beginning of what was going to be days of responding to calls for help. We set up JOC and were privileged to have NSRI Stations 41 and five join our teams. We started creating lists of calls received. Our biggest challenge was the entire system was completely overwhelmed and every emergency service was inundated with calls. We had to make tough decisions on which calls for help needed to be prioritised. Our instinct was to try to save lives, however we had to take into consideration the safety of our teams and whether we were able to safely get to a patient. The days then moved into search and recovery operational activities to assist in bringing closure to loved ones. The teams were testing physically, emotionally, and mentally as they spent long hours digging and physically moving tons of mud, debris, and rock before being able to reunite lost souls with their families. The searches went on for just over 14 days, with everyday starting at our headquarters and assessing where the teams needed to focus before heading back out into areas to dig and walk and try to help the communities. This time grew our team, it allowed S.T.A.R.T to really test ourselves and the team certainly made the communities proud.
WWG: How do you deal with unsuccessful searches, emotionally?
WB: We often get asked this question. I always respond with ‘Did we do everything we can?’, if the answer is, ‘yes’, then I know we really did. Unsuccessful searches occur for many reasons, mostly for reasons out of our control, like changing weather patterns. We will always do our absolute best and there are many people that connect before a decision is made to end a search, but we must take into consideration that our volunteers also have families at home and we as a team must look after one another as well. Sadly, not all outcomes are positive, but it’s the ones where we do succeed that keeps us going and knowing that we will never leave a rescue operation without knowing we did everything we could. We can’t save them all, but we will always try.
WWG: What do you do in your spare time?
WB: This is my spare time; I volunteer whenever and however I can. When I do get the opportunity, I will take advantage of the countryside and fit in some social 4x4ing. I love the outdoors, there is so much to be grateful for in life. Tomorrow is not promised.
