Bhutanese-samaj, समाचारहरु NEWS

Bhutanese Emergency Assitance Card(BEAC)

Published by Hamaosamaj on January 27, 2010

Press Release

BASCO in collaboration with Oakland Police Department and the Office of the Councilman, DeLa Funte has taken the Safety and Security of the resettling Bhutanese refugees seriously and reached to the next level recently. Besides, strategic police patrolling in the high risk areas, all three sectors have worked collectively and have come up with a “Bhutanese Emergency Assistance Cards”. This card system was first introduced in the Fruitvale Ave , Coolidge Ave , School Ave and Nicole Ave as a pilot project. Depending upon its effectiveness, the same project can be made available to our people living in other areas.

The card is a wallet size. It must be carried in person all the time. It has types of emergencies written and translated both in English and Nepali. In the event of any attacks, medical emergencies or accident, the person who knows no English or has no access to 911 call, will look in the vicinity and finds a “Safe House for Bhutanese” that displays Bhutanese flag or poster of the flag that has been agreed to be displayed by the willing business merchants and individuals as a gesture good will to our community. The victim will show the card pointing to the types of emergencies in the card so that the merchant will call appropriate authority and inform the community members to attend to the victim.

It is expected that this kind of community help and collaboration will bring down the crime rate targeted specifically to the Bhutanese people because of their vulnerability.

Dick Chhetri
Chairman/BASCO
Better Community, Best Hope