Dear Treasure Cay Neighbor,

Wow!  Where has the year gone?

Having just wrapped up our Thanksgiving holiday, it seems like a good time to mention a few things I’m thankful for:

1.       1.  I’M THANKFUL that Treasure Cay has a first class Fire and Rescue operation.   A big “Thank you” to Chief Albury and his volunteers.

2.       2.   I’M THANKFUL that several of our condominium neighbors now pay their TCESO donations through their association on a regular schedule, which really helps our cash flow.

3.       3.   I’M THANKFUL that an increasing number of home owners are now paying the requested $250.00 annual donation.

HOWEVER, I must mention that we still continue to fall short of our annual requirement of $120,000.00 for the funding of TCESO.

4.       4.  I’M THANKFUL that several of our neighbors have stepped up to bridge those shortfalls so that TCESO can continue to pay its bills.

HOWEVER, relying on the generosity of a few is no way to run this essential community service.

5.        5.  I’M THANKFUL that thanks to a small group of donors, we’ve been able to build a capital fund for major expense items that may arise.   We recently tapped the fund to replace our “jaws of life”.  We have also ordered a heavy duty washing machine which will be used for cleaning clothing and protective gear at the fire station.

So, there are 5 THANKFULS and 2 HOWEVERS.  I hope you are thankful like I am for the great service TCESO provides.  If you’ve already donated your $250.00 for 2013, thank you.  If you have not donated yet for 2013, please send your check made out to TCESO to Tom Wheeler, PO Box 305, Mentor, OH  44060 or deliver it to the TCPOA office in Treasure Cay.

If you would like to donate to the capital fund, you may do so through Treasure Cay Community Foundation and mail the check to the same address.  Donations to TCCF are tax deductible for U.S. residents.  TCCF may not be used for annual donations which are considered a fee for service and not deductible.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at tomwheeler@componentrepair.com or call me at 440-477-1904 or 242-365-8125.

Thank you in advance for your donation.

Sincerely,

Your favorite fund raiser (self-appointed)

Tom Wheeler

TCESO (Emergency Services) HAND-OVER CEREMONY

A proud moment for all residents of Treasure Cay…….

On Saturday morning August 24, 2013 Colin Albury, Fire Chief for Treasure Cay Emergency Services (TCESO) and Abaco Crash Fire & Rescue, hosted a “Hand-Over Ceremony” at our Fire Station.  This event made history as never before had the Royal Bahamian Police highest ranking officers considered it of sufficient importance to attend an out island Volunteer Fire Department event.  The Officers who addressed residents were: Commissioner of Police; Mr. Ellison Greenslade, Ass’t Commissioner; Mr. Seymour; Director of Fire Services for the Bahamas; Mr. Walter Evans, North Abaco District Administer; Mr. Neil Campbell and Chief Councilor for North Abaco, Mr. Gary Smith.

Chief Albury noted that this “Hand-Over” ceremony made official the inauguration of the North Abaco Volunteer Fire Brigade in Coopers Town for which our Treasure Cay station donated our original Fire Pumper which was replaced last year through the generosity of the Treasure Cay Homeowners.

In addition, Fire Chief Albury, was able to procure an enormous amount of used fire equipment and Bunker suits from the Largo Fire Station in Tampa, Florida.  Some was needed in our department while the remainder was ‘handed-over’ to the newly established station in Coopers Town as well as to the volunteer station on Andros.  For several months Chief Albury has been training the volunteers from Coopers Town who are now ready to provide fire suppression from Crown Haven to Black Wood.  Because it is the mandate for all Fire Departments within the Bahamas to respond to all fire events regardless of where they occur, the new station will greatly relieve the burden on our equipment and volunteers who will assist in the northernmost towns only if called upon. 

Astonishingly, at the start of the ceremonies volunteers were called to Leisure Lee to suppress a fire! This provided time for Mr. Greenslade to express how impressed he was with the protection that homeowners in Treasure Cay have provided for their residents as well as for others on Abaco.  He remarked that he had in past not paid a lot of attention to local volunteer departments but this was his major wake up call.  He was visibly impressed with how well outfitted our department is and how well Chief Albury has organized it.  He acknowledged that volunteer stations are critically important for the safety of us all on the out-islands.  Mr. Evans, Director of Fire Services, said that our Fire Department was by far the best equipped and staffed volunteer department he had seen and had high praise for Chief Albury, our fire fighters and the medical emergency crews.

When our somewhat disheveled fire fighters returned from the Leisure Lee emergency Chief Albury made a formal presentation to Mr. Gary Smith who expressed his sincere and heartfelt gratitude for these gifts which, he said, Coopers Town could not have provided.  He was truly moved by the entire event.

TCESO Director, Mrs. Betsy Bracey, introduced the TCESO Trustees, Mr. Everett Pinder, Mr. Eric Collie and Mr. Daron Roberts.  She thanked the Officers for honoring us with their presence and noted that this is a huge step forward for North Abaco and that the homeowners of Treasure Cay were delighted to be a part of this new venture.  She congratulated the Coopers Town volunteers and wished them success.

The event concluded with a sumptuous steak and lobster dinner provided by the volunteers from Coopers Town with baked goods supplied by our local ladies.

The event was covered by ZNS Television and will be a front page article in the next edition of The Abaconian.

Photos on the “Image Gallery” page.. TCESO Hand-Over Photos

Treasure Cay Emergency Services

It happened to me!

Woke up, showered, mopped floor, had breakfast, back to bedroom – foot slipped – in a split second on the floor unable to move – it was 9am early September 2012.

Landed on my right hip – the head of the femur smashed through the socket causing 3 fractures of the pelvis – no wonder movement was impossible. Screamed, yelled, shouted, cried – extreme pain.

Mahalia called Corbett Clinic – ambulance arrived in minutes - sirens never sounded so welcome – help was coming!

Two angels brought in a kind of surfboard hinged at one end and lifted the tired and crumpled body of this old man gently off the floor. To the clinic – Big Colin (aka Size Matters) and Patty organized transportation to TC airport. Darlene took x-rays and identified the pelvis fractures and treated me to several wonnddderffffulllll doses of morphine…………..!

Ambulance to airport, Cherokee Air to Ft. Lauderdale and thence by ambulance to Baptist hospital. Seven hours of surgery, three days in ICU, two weeks in hospital, one week in rehab.

Like you I’m sure, I always worried about what would happen if…..

Well it did happen to me – TCESO stepped up in a way I never imagined would be possible in a small community like ours. Having kept my TCESO dues up to date I was not even asked for a contribution for all the help I was given right through to TC airport.

The accident happened in a split second. TCESO were there in minutes and thanks to them and Corbett Clinic, I’m still alive to tell the tale - awesome. How do you thank people who saved your life?

It could be you next – and I’m sure your story will be more interesting than mine – but the unthinkable happened to me – if it happens to you, I know they’ll be there to help.

Please support TCESO.

Graham Johns

January 2, 2013

Chief Albury was called to attend to an unresponsive infant. Unfortunately it was too late for the child to be resuscitated. Our prayers go out to the Mother and to her family.

January 4, 2013

Chief Albury received an emergency call at 2:30 am to come to the scene of a roll-over car accident. The victim had to be cut out of the car with the TCESO's Jaws of Life equipment. He was treated on-site and stabilized sufficiently to transport by ambulance to the nearby Cooperstown clinic for further treatment.

Note: TESCO's very old Jaws of Life equipment was unable to be repaired. Due to the generosity of several second homeowners in Treasure Cay a new set was purchased and shipped. They are in service and working perfectly. Chief Albury and his team have saved several lives by having this equipment on board the rescue vehicle. It is an essential piece of equipment for an emergency service unit and all too often needed as witnessed by last night's vehicle accident. Our thanks those who recognized the urgency to replace this tool.

December 31, 2012

Very late last night an 18 year old youth visiting a Treasure Cay second homeowner, rolled a golf cart breaking his leg in the process and suffering several facial lacerations. Chief Albury attended to the patient on site stabilizing him sufficiently to transport him to the clinic. Dr. Hull set and cast the leg and sutured as needed. Due to the late hour he will be evacuated this morning.

A couple visiting a Treasure Cay second homeowner rented a golf cart on Green Turtle Cay and became involved in a serious accident. The young lady sustained a broken arm in additions to other less serious injuries. Chief Albury was requested to meet the ferry with the ambulance. He treated her on-site and then transported the injured woman to the Corbett Clinic where she received further treatment from Darlene Higgs, our on-call nurse practitioner. Mrs. HIggs determined that she was sufficiently stable to fly out on a commercial airline to Florida for further evaluation.

During the course of this event, a gentleman who was bonefishing in the marls, had a heart attack. The bonefishing guide determined that they were closer to Corbett Clinic than to medical help in Marsh Harbour and phoned for assistance. Chief Albury met the boat and transported the patient to our clinic. He was treated by Darlene Higgs while Patti Pinder-Albury arranged for an emergency evacuation plane to transport the man to a West Pam Beach emergency facility.  Mrs. HIggs flew with the patient to ensure on board continuing care.

December 29, 2012

Colin Albury was called to attend to several emergency situations in the past 10 days.

• A homeowner's Mother had to be treated on site and then evacuated to Nassau for further medical care.
• A brush fire that threatened the Treasure Cay Elementary School had to be extinguished.
• A head on car collision left one visitor from Nassau dead and another injured. The gentleman from Cooperstown who was driving was also injured. The men in the car that hit them ran from the scene.
• A visitor in one of the Condominium complexes had to have a wound cared for on site.
• A second homeowner's Father had to evacuated to the US due to a potentially serious heart situation. Colin Albury flew with him to keep him stabilized until hospital treatment could be received in Florida.

December 14, 2012

A family member of a Treasure Cay homeowner had to be taken by ambulance to Marsh Harbour airport for evacuation to Nassau for further evaluation.

December 15, 2012

Responded to a local resort to attend to a guest who had a nasty fall.

That night a call to the Treasure Cay Marina area to attend to someone who

suffered a hand laceration.

In both instances, Chief Albury cared for the patients on site.

Abaco Police;

December 14, 2012

Detectives and Police Officers at the Marsh Harbour Police Station have charged and arraigned three suspects for stolen vessel which occurred recently at Treasure Cay Abaco. They have been remanded to Her Majesty Prison in Nassau Bahamas. (Copied in part from the Abaco Police Facebook page)

December 18, 2012

VESSEL LOCATED IN ANDROS BAHAMAS.
The vessel *MULLIGAN* was located in Andros today's date 17.12.12, Due to diligence of Supt. Bruce Arnett and his dedicated team of Police Officers and Reserves the vessel is secured in Andros. Both engines were removed and some other items. Three (3) males from North Abaco were arrested in connection with this incident charged and remanded to Her Majesty Prison. The owner is being contacted to assist in it's recovery and return to Abaco. We also thank the community of both Andros and Abaco for their support.

Treasure Cay Fire Chief Colin Albury recently conducted a tour of the Fire Station for 20 four and five year old children from Head Start Academy.

They were instructed how to call Emergency Numbers and to drop and roll if their clothing caught on fire.

The height of their visit was sitting in the Fire Engine and of course blowing the siren.

A show of twenty hands signified their willingness to be firefighters. So Colin now has a lot of future volunteers.

Please remember TCESO depends on your donations to fund operations.

tomwheeler@componentrepair.com

Week of Sept 8...... an international home owner slipped and fell, sustaining injuries to his pelvis/hip.  Again, the quick response and handling of the incident by TC Emergency Services prevented further damage to the patient.

The patient was promptly medivaced that day to a hospital.

July 27, 2012.......Two home owners were seriously injured in a head on accident with a golf cart and truck last month. Through the quick response of our EMT, volunteers and clinic staff, the men were successfully medivaced to the US for multiple surgeries.

Both men face a long recovery, but sincerely place their gift of life on the quick and competent efforts of the TC Emergency Services, Corbett Clinic staff and Dr. Hull, who came to the Clinic from Marsh Harbour.

As a result of this incident Treasure Cay Ltd and Amenities are erecting a Stop Sign on Windward Beach Drive and Galleon Bay, and speed bumps put down in that area.