How shopping at this new Fresno store can help ‘the forgotten first responders’
Lululemon shorts. Vintage lamps. Handmade cards.
Buying any of these things can help out the worker who shows up in an ambulance if you ever have to call one.
That's because a new store in northwest Fresno, Resuscitated marketplace and thrift boutique, is run by a nonprofit organization that benefits Emergency Medical Services workers.
At Palm and Bullard avenues, Resuscitated is between Ovidio Ristorante Italiano and the newly opened RappitUp! (It's in the space once occupied by Ammons Design and Home Decor , which moved to 7089 N. Marks Ave.)
It was started by Kim Damico — and a couple of partners — after she spent a 34-year career in the private-sector emergency services field.
EMS workers, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians and dispatchers, respond to some of worst tragedies people face in their lives after someone calls 911. They may be car accidents, shootings, plane crashes, catastrophic injuries and more.
"It's every trauma and every tragedy you can imagine," Damico said.
EMS workers
The EMS workers employed by private companies don't always have the same benefits as some of their first-responder counterparts such as firefighters and police officers employed by government agencies, she said.
"We have to focus on these folks that are private sector, because these are the ones that are showing up at your door," she said. "It's a community that needs a little extra, that gets overlooked."
She started a nonprofit organization, Paramedic Resilience Society, that runs the store. It has more than 20 vendors selling antiques, vintage, handmade and new items. A percentage of their sales goes to the nonprofit. And part of the shop is also a thrift store, where an even bigger percentage goes toward the cause.
EMS workers may have a 401(k) and not a pension like firefighters would. EMTs and paramedics working at private companies generally get less sick and vacation time than their government counterparts, and are less likely to be unionized in the Fresno area, said Shelli Alaniz, EMS education coordinator for the Fresno County Paramedic Program.
Damico has worked in EMS all over the state and her sick time usually averaged about four days a year, she said.
A recent California law that went into effect in January mandated that healthcare workers be paid at least $23, and eventually $25 by 2026. The law does not apply to most EMT and ambulance workers employed by a private company.
Pay rates vary, but many EMS jobs in Fresno pay between about $14 and $18 an hour , according to ZipRecruiter salary information. Higher-trained paramedics make more. Many will go on to become firefighters and police officers.
"They are kinda like the forgotten first responders," said Alaniz said of the EMS workers.
Resuscitated is a way to help out. Damico has been doing that for years, selling pulled pork sandwiches to raise money for co-workers with serious medical issues, or for families of co-workers who died or were injured. She hosted an appreciation dinner for ambulance workers in Tulare.
"I think it's important that they have a safety net," she said. "If they're falling on hard times, I'd love to be able to pay an electric bill."
Her first goal is fund some scholarships for EMS training.
Resuscitated the store
The store is still getting on its feet. It doesn't even have a sign or a website yet. The sign costs about $7,000 and they're looking for someone willing to donate one or the money for it.
The store is also accepting monetary gifts and donations of lightly used clothing and other items for the thrift portion of the store, said Laura McAtee, one of the other partners in the store.
Part of the mission is also acknowledging the impact the job has on mental health. Damico was in a dark place when she left the field.
Retail therapy — shopping — made her feel better and she eventually started selling the treasures she found at resale shops. That inspired the creation of the store.
Damico still tears up when talking about the things she's seen in the profession.
"We see the worst of the worst," she said. "To speak of that is difficult. Obviously, I still struggle."
But a little community is forming around the store, McAtee said.
"It's all coming together," she said. "Everybody wants to help."
