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EMS professionals serving in communities along the US-Mexico border face unique strains and responsibilities, according to a recently published study.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians are widely recognized for their exposure to occupational stress and high-risk environments. However, limited research has explored the specific challenges faced by EMS professionals serving in communities along the US-Mexico border. A new study published in BMJ Open offered rare insight into the lived experiences of these clinicians, highlighting the unique pressures imposed by their geographic and sociopolitical environment.

Using a phenomenological approach, Christine Crudo Blackburn, PhD, Texas A&M University, and colleagues conducted in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 28 EMS clinicians employed by the fire department of a midsized Texas city situated on the Rio Grande. The department serves as the primary EMS provider for the area in which US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) routinely apprehends large groups of individuals entering the US, primarily responding to 911 calls, providing initial medical care, and transporting patients. Half of the participants had more than a decade of experience in EMS, and the majority were men.

The semi-structured interviews explored participants’ backgrounds, experiences with undocumented immigrants and the children of undocumented parents, relationships with CBP, and interactions with hospitals.

Federal Presence & Multijurisdictional Demands

The study’s principal finding was that the pervasive presence of federal law enforcement significantly shapes EMS clinicians’ duties and perceptions. “Participants in the study emphasized how their job required them to serve the residents of their community, provide medical support to Border Patrol, and receive patients from Mexican ambulances when the extent of the injury was beyond the capacity of Mexican hospitals,” the authors wrote.

Additionally, the researchers discovered that the international border presents unique challenges not typically encountered in non-border regions. Beyond coordinating with federal personnel, these challenges include language barriers, managing patients and ambulance services from Mexico, and recovering the bodies of deceased migrants from the Rio Grande River. They noted the task of body recovery had a disproportionate impact on study participants; many felt another agency should handle the responsibility.

Call for Tailored Resources and Policy Support

The researchers emphasized that, although this study focused on a community with high volumes of border crossings, the findings may not be generalizable to all border regions. Nevertheless, the authors noted that the insights gained underscore the need for policy-level recognition of the distinct operational burdens shouldered by border EMS.

“The unique experiences of border EMS personnel suggest that local, state, and federal governments should reassess the current level of support and resources provided to local EMS to better meet the needs of the providers and personnel,” the authors concluded.