Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation History

The Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation Phils. Inc. or ERUF is a corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commision on April 22, 1988. Prior to its formal incorporation, the group organized and became operational as early as July 1986.
The core group who formed ERUF and most of whom until now serve with the Foundation is composed of the members of the emergency rescue arm of the Mandaue City Fire Department. This rescue arm was later named and known as the Mandaue Emergency Rescue Unit or MERU.

MERU was the brainchild of then Mayor of Mandaue City, Hon. Demetrio M. Cortes, and was envisioned by him to provide emergency medical and rescue services to the residents of Mandaue City and others who would need the skills and expertise of this highly trained and dedicated group.

In 1986, following the EDSA Revolution and the change of administration, most of the members of MERU were replaced with new personnel. The displaced paramedics together with the group of civic-oriented citizens felt that there was a need to continue providing efficient and effective rescue and emergency medical services to the resident of Metro Cebu – something that was no longer addressed by the personnel of the government-run rescue groups.

Thus the birth of ERUF.

ERUF started with less than 60 members including the 13 displaced paramedics. There was very little cash available. Equipment and vehicles used were either donations or were restored from salvaged junk/scrap materials. Work done by the paramedics during the early months was purely on a voluntary basis with nobody receiving monetary compensation.

Today, ERUF boast of Modern equipment and vehicles ranging from, among others, fully equipped trauma vans, extrication equipment, 5 fire trucks, communication van with a variety of equipment and repeater system, search and rescue apparatus and more than 10 ambulances based in different strategic locations in Metro Cebu.

It is also the only rescue unit in the whole country with host of multi-response capability with international qualified complement to respond to Urban Search and Rescue, Technical and High Angle, Haz-Mat, Dive Rescue and is duly certified to teach the same. It has also been trained in Fire Crashed plane Rescue at Schipol Air Crash Training Center. It has also been elected by the National Association of Emergency Technician (NAEMT-USA) – to teach Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support Course (PHTLS). there are only two (2) training centers in the South East Asia Region certified to teach this course, with the other one in Hong Kong.

ERUF also has formal arrangements with the Cities of Cebu and Lapulapu to provide free emergency medical services to its resident in exchange for subsidy. Likewise, several private hospitals have contracted ERUF to provide for its ambulance service.

The efficient, effective and compassionate services provide by the members of ERUF have been recognized by numerous national and international agencies. But more than the prospects of getting awards and recognition. ERUF members find satisfaction in pursuing its vision of working for a safer community through a service oriented paramedics institution.