Border Cities Are Burdened With Calls for Help

The New York times ^ | August 25, 2012 | IAN LOVETT

[moonshinner_09]

CALEXICO, Calif. — The calls come in thick and fast from the border, just blocks from the fire station here. A woman suffered heatstroke in line at the port of entry. A person detained by customs officers complained of chest pain. An illegal immigrant broke his leg trying to hop the 20-foot wall that divides Calexico from its Mexican twin city, Mexicali.

In each case, the Calexico Fire Department responded.

All along the Southwest border, from San Diego to Brownsville, Tex., local fire departments respond to medical calls as they would to any emergencies within their city limits. But such calls for medical assistance at the border have become a growing burden on the finances and resources of fire departments in cities like this one, in the California desert 100 miles east of San Diego.

Last year, with trips to the port of entry and the Border Patrol station and others to assist injured fence-jumpers, Calexico firefighters responded to 725 calls associated with the border — a fifth of all calls the department received.

Chief Pete Mercado said the department’s lone ambulance would sometimes make 10 trips to the port of entry in a given day. For many of those, he said, the department is not able to collect payment, while the ambulance is rendered unavailable for other emergencies.

[moonshinner_09]

Others, tired of waiting in line at the port of entry, where the sun is a hammer, use the ambulance like a taxi to get across the border more quickly.

Mexicans must think,why not, it's free, they cannot charge me for any medical services They also utilize the fact hospitals/ambulances cannot ask about Immigration Status. They can provide false information and receive free medical care without worry of paying or any harassing bill collectors bothering them.

[IbJensen]

el bumpo

[nascarnation]

I read that Texas has more people on Medicaid than Iowa, Arkansas, or Mississippi has people.

[oh8eleven]

I read that Texas has more people on Medicaid than Iowa, Arkansas, or Mississippi has people.
I believe NY State has more Medicaid freeloaders than Texas and California ... combined.
Takers gotta' take.

[BfloGuy]

It’s always comes as somewhat of a shock when the New York Times actually prints a truthful article.

[moonshinner_09]

I had to check and recheck and recheck again to make this this was the actual New York Times.

[Huskrrrr]

The State should change it's name to Calexico.

[Lurker]

I see you haven’t met many Muslims. I’ll take a dozen more Mexicans like the ones who live next door to us.

[jmacusa]

C’mon up to Lakewood NJ and you can have your fill of Mexicans. I can’t stand either.

[Jim from C-Town]

If I where the mayor I would send the bills to the Mexican Consulate and sick some bill collectors on them when they do not pay.

We should be charging the cost of medical care provided by our citizens to the country that these people come from. We should use our power in the international banking community to extract payment.

If we charged the Mexican government the cost of feeding, clothing and medicating the Mexican nationals free loading in our country, you would see a dramatic decrease in the amount of Mexican nationals entering our country.

[Right Wing Assault]

Just put up a sign in Spanish:

“Attention wall climbers. Due to the large number of injured people, the current wait for an ambulance will be 6 hours. Sorry for the inconvenience.

If you do become injured, just lay there calmly and we will get to you eventually. Warning - continual screaming in pain is bad for your heart and may result in death. Just put your fist in your mouth and bite down on it.”