EEI Staff

Emergency Education International is the brainchild of volunteer firefighters who where inspired when they heard a podcast by Radio Ambulante that showcased how firefighters throughout Latin America are often responsible for their own training and personal protection equipment—a majority, as unpaid volunteers. Additionally, agencies and states often spend the majority of their training budgets to send a few from their department to the United States to get trained. This means they receive education that is in English, the materials are all printed in English, and then it is up to those few who receive the training once to return to their home departments and teach it to everyone.

Neyo, who is from Venezuela, had been collecting used fire gear for years that was discarded from fire departments in the United States and sending it to Latin America. After listening to the podcast he and Sarah, who grew up in Uruguay, decided to create a company that could provide standardized training to emergency personnel in their own regions, with culturally adapted and translated materials, that can be regionally taught and disseminated. They also collect used firefighting equipment and are currently collaborating to outfit the State of Morelos, Mexico Emergency Contingency Department’s warehouse for emergency response.

Jesús is a mountain rescuer who has turned his experiences doing technical high altitude rescue in the Andes Mountains into a passion for training and community development. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Universidad de Ejido, Mérida, Venezuela and an associate’s degree in paramedicine from Lane Community College, Eugene, OR. As a firefighter/EMT he began collecting used firefighting gear and equipment to donate to Latin American firefighters and from those efforts Emergency Education International was born.

Additional Certifications: High-Altitude Mountain Rescue Certification, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Structural Firefighter Type 1, Wildland/Urban Interface Firefighter Type 2, and Fire Instructor 1. Bilingual Research Assistant, College of Education, Center for Equity Promotion, University of Oregon. High-Altitude Mountain Rescue Consultant, Grupo Andino de Rescate. Previous work includes: Health, Safety and Environmental Supervisor for Petróleos de Mexico, Elf Aquitaine, Petróleos de Venezuela, and WesternGeco. High-Altitude Mountain Rescue Volunteer for Grupo Andino de Rescate.

Sarah has a master’s degree of public health from the University of Missouri, a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from American University, is an EMT currently finishing her paramedic. She is a former volunteer firefighter. Sarah spent years working in Bolivia and Mexico for social justice projects. As a public health educator she has worked across the United States in the fields of sexual health, violence prevention, and for organizations that serve people living with HIV/AIDS. She is a writer and is the author of “From Ouch! To Ahhh…The New Mom’s Guide to Sex After Baby.” Sarah has combined her experience and love of projects that promote community resilience, safety and development through education into the building and growing of EEI. She is always looking to integrate social justice perspectives into fields that have traditionally not incorporated them, for example, amplifying the voices, networks, and training of women in fire service.

Additional Credentials: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Structural Firefighter Type 1, Wildland/Urban Interface Firefighter Type 2, Hazmat Awareness and Operations, Fire Instructor I.