There may be times when you try to call the Nosara Red Cross and just can’t get through. Some may have heard rumors that they are closing in the afternoons now, but that isn’t exactly the case.
According to Carlos Alberto Villalobos Espinoza, president of the local Red Cross Committee, the Red Cross is open 24 hours a day, but the problem is insufficient staff. At present they don’t have an administrative assistant and only have two drivers, so if one of the drivers is called away to attend to a case, for example, and no other volunteer is available, that might mean that now one is available to man the phones.
Four of five new volunteers are going to be starting soon, which will improve things a little, but Villalobos affirmed that more volunteers from the community are needed.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should visit the Red Cross station to find out the requirements, which include a criminal record report and letters of recommendation.
Potential volunteers first pass through a 3-month trial period to make sure they are committed before they receive a 3-month training in first aid (APA- Asistente en Primeros Auxilios).
Because the training costs about 500,000 colones ($1000), which is paid by first cross, volunteers should sign a contract for a minimum of two years of service.
After successfully completing training, volunteers are insured through INS (the National Insurance Institute).
To contact the Nosara Red Cross, call 2682-0175.
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