Q&A with Rodney McDonald - The Sun News - Macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2011/04/20/1530367/qa-with-rodney-m...
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Wednesday, Apr. 20, 2011
Q&A with Rodney McDonald
Compiled by Michael W. Pannell - Sun News correspondent
E-Mail
City of Residence: Estelí, Nicaragua; formerly Bonaire
Print
Occupation: Latin American director for Emergency Response Services for Latin
America (ERSLA)
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QUESTION: Give a brief
description of what you and ERSLA do.
ANSWER: Our mission statement is we create
sustainable, trained emergency and prevention
systems in Latin American countries. We help train
emergency workers and provide usable, donated
equipment from the U.S.
QUESTION: In January, you had a donated fire truck
and equipment flown from Robins Air Force Base to
Nicaragua through an Air Force Reserve training
program. What’s become of the equipment?
ANSWER: The fire truck is now in service in
Granada. The only thing they had before was a 1964
ladder truck. They needed a better, smaller truck to
move around the city. They use it to protect property
and save lives.
The equipment went to the main emergency services
office in Managua and is being dispersed throughout
Nicaragua. Most of it was things like turn-out gear, air
tanks, hoses, that sort of thing.
QUESTION: You’re on your bi-annual trip back to the
U.S. What are you up to?
Rodney McDonald
ANSWER: When I’m back, I usually visit family here
three or four days a week and spend three or four
days in Atlanta or elsewhere. I work (for) ERSLA in
the day and visit friends at night. This visit, I got to be
a guest speaker at my alma mater, ABAC (Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural College), for a class interested in
development work. I got to tell some of my own
history and stories dealing with development.
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QUESTION: What projects are you working on?
$350,000 life insurance
ANSWER: We’re turning ERSLA into its own
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We’re creating a
board of directors, including the Rev. Jim McIlrath of
Christ United Methodist Church, who helped us with
the January shipment. We’re hoping to have it
complete by July.
1 of 2
Until now, ERSLA has worked under the Bend
(Oregon) Firefighter Foundation, which helped start
ERSLA and has been working with firefighters in Nicaragua for years. We’ll continue to partner closely with
them, but the plan from the beginning was that after a couple of years, ERSLA would become its own
nonprofit. It gave us a chance to have a history, a track record.
QUESTION: How about for the work itself?
ANSWER: We’re starting to have a lot of volunteers come down. We had a group come and teach physical
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5/4/11 1:53 PM
Q&A with Rodney McDonald - The Sun News - Macon.com
2 of 2
http://www.macon.com/2011/04/20/1530367/qa-with-rodney-m...
5/4/11 1:53 PM