Why do you call yourselves “medics” when you’re not actually “medics”?
The term “street medic” has specific meaning originating from the 1960s civil rights movements, referring to groups of volunteers who believed that first-aid is a form of defense, and that anyone could be trained to provide basic care.
Aren’t y’all just a bunch of army medic wannabe/LARPers?
We try not to be, although many of our volunteers are ex-military medics. We definitely don’t see ourselves as a replacement to professional or state-run medical services. We have strict ethical and conduct guidelines about staying within scope of training, and for calling EMS. We communicate closely with Austin EMS to ensure that we always adding value to the service they provide.
Why don’t y’all just leave this stuff to the professionals?
The situations we operate in are typically very difficult for traditional EMS to serve. We are able to walk within a protest and provide first aid very rapidly. Often protests or civil action situations are cordoned off, or in areas inaccessible to emergency vehicles. We are able to triage, treat/stabilise and transport an injured person to an area where they can be treated by EMS. Additionally, we provide a range of harm reduction techniques not provided by traditional EMS, such as providing free snacks, water, and sunscreen.
Are y’all just a bunch of anarchists/commies/leftists/radicals/ANTIFA/etc?
No idea, maybe some of us are. When we bring a volunteer into the organisation, we don’t ask questions about philosophical or political beliefs. We only care about positive intent, level of expertise, and adherence to our strict neutrality policy and our code of ethics and conduct.
You say that SMA is neutral, but are you REALLY neutral?
This is really a core tenet of SMA. We have decided to be strictly neutral because our overarching goal is to offer first aid and harm reduction to people who are in situations where traditional state-run medical services struggle to operate. We have been able to be extremely successful in this goal precisely because we act neutrally, and try to operate within the confines of the law.
Are y’all a 501(c)(3) organisation?
Not yet. We’re registered in Texas as a nonprofit corporation, and are in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) exemption.
Why can’t I contribute money?
We don’t have a good way to manage monetary donations yet. Once we receive our 501(c)(3) exemption we will develop a process for donors to financially contribute to our goals. If you would like to contribute in the meantime, we maintain an up-to-date list of required medical supplies and equipment via an Amazon wishlist.
If you’d like to receive a message from us when we’re ready to receive financial donations, leave us your email and we’ll get in touch.