Every evening, members of First Aid Support Angel (FAS Angel) will patrol along roads of Hanoi City to support and rescue victims of accidents. They have chosen to become ride-hailing motorbike drivers to reach the scene of accident faster and promptly provide first aid to victims.
FAS Angel is a volunteer team established by Pham Quoc Viet, born in 1987 in Nam Dinh Province’s Xuan Truong District, and other app-based motorcycle taxi drivers in September 2019 to directly give first aid and help people unfortunate victims of traffic accidents on the street in Hanoi.
Viet said he used to be abandoned in a traffic accident many years ago in Tuyen Quang Province. At the time, many people traveled on the road but no one stopped to help him until a passer-by stopped to take him to a hospital. This is an unforgettable memory and he has always felt grateful.
The fateful accident changed him a lot and he decided to quit his communications job and join hands with some others to establish FAS Angel. He offers ride-hailing services in the daytime and travels on roads, with his teammates, to support those meeting with accidents at night.
From his experience, Viet expects to build trust among people and mutual care in the community so that each person in the society can become an angle for another.
Despite different ages, careers and backgrounds, all members of FAS Angel are always willing to help others. And the journey of abandoning-no-one continues day by day.
To date, the team has had some 90 members, including 10 leaders for nine areas in Hanoi City. Viet has managed to provide all members with first aid knowledge and skills.
Viet said the job required not only members’ voluntary spirit but also their knowledge and skills.
From 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day, FAS Angel members roam the street in the capital to give a helping hand to the needy. Viet’s baggage in the journey is a first aid kit, including bandages and medical devices, weighing more than seven kilograms.
When an accident happens, each member quickly do their jobs, such as giving first aid to victims, protecting the scene or preventing traffic congestion. Their effective cooperation has saved victims.
The team handles three to nine traffic accidents per day on average. In some cases, they just need photos of wounds or lying positions of victims sent by passers-by to immediately provide specific instructions. It often takes them five to eight minutes to reach the scene of accident.
Depending on the health conditions of victims, the team will come up with appropriate solutions. If the victims are in critical condition, they will seek ways to take the victims to hospitals safely or wait for ambulances to come. One to two member of the team will stay at the accident site to protect the scene until the competent agencies take over it.
The team has delivered 22,000 contact-info stamps in Hanoi so that all residents can reach them when needed.
Besides establishing a first aid team to help others, FAS Angel members have repeatedly donated their blood to help save the life of patients. As many as 20 members of the team have donated blood in emergency and the team will continue calling on other volunteers to participate in this meaningful activity.
Viet’s story has been featured in the “Nối trọn yêu thương” (Connecting love) program on the VTV1 channel. Sharing in the program, Viet said he expected the first aid provision model would be expanded to many other localities so that victims of traffic accidents will not be abandoned.
With an aim to encourage and strengthen the motivation of Viet and other members of FAS Angel, the Dr Thanh cooling tea brand of Tan Hiep Phat Group has given them a gift and expected Viet to soon achieve success in his plans.
Together with the gift, Tran Uyen Phuong, deputy CEO of Tan Hiep Phat Group, also appeared in the “Nối trọn yêu thương” program. In the program, Phuong told Viet that “this is a beautiful act. We have been fighting the pandemic and after ups and downs, people’s feelings for each other are different. They have become closer and shared more. Thank you for your beautiful acts, which have inspired others and made the life more meaningful.”
As a companion of the “Nối trọn yêu thương” program for nearly three years, Tan Hiep Phat Group has contributed to spreading the positive energy from characters in the program. Despite their different circumstances, when facing problems and difficulties in their lives, they always have trust in life and inspire the community with the “nothing-is-impossible” spirit.
