Rotary International Partnership · 2026–2028
We’re giving Belize the emergency system it deserves.
A three-year Rotary partnership to build Belize’s national 990 emergency system — connecting fire, medical, and rescue response for every district, so help is never more than a phone call away.
6 of 6
districts to be covered
100,000+
residents already served in Cayo District
250+
responders to be trained
$304K
total project funding goal
The Need
Right now, a call for help doesn’t always get answered.
In most of Belize, there is no single number to call in an emergency — and no coordinated system to answer if there were. Fire, medical, and rescue teams work without a shared radio language or a unified command structure, so response is slow, especially in rural and coastal communities.
Hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires are hitting harder and more often, and the people least able to recover quickly are the ones this system is missing most. Today, only one of Belize’s six districts has real dispatch coverage.
We know this works, because it already has. In 2023, Empact International and the Poulsbo Rotary Club launched Belize’s first 990 dispatch center in Cayo District. It now runs 24/7 and has already served more than 100,000 residents.
“This system has revolutionized the speed and capabilities of emergency response in Cayo, pushing firefighters to be more accountable — there is no comparison.”
Chief Colin Gillett
Belize National Fire Service
The Plan
Three phases. Three years. One national system.
Rotary clubs can join at any point across the three-year rollout — every phase builds directly on the one before it, taking Belize’s emergency response from one district to all six.
Phase I
2026 • Capacity Building
Training and equipment to build the foundation — the people and tools every later phase depends on.
Phase II
2027 • National Leadership
Nationwide Incident Command System training, growing local leadership across all districts.
Phase III
2028 • Full Implementation
The 990 system goes live nationwide, with technical rescue capacity and a sustainability plan built in.
The Impact
This isn’t infrastructure. It’s people.
Behind every number is a family that gets help faster, a responder with the training to act with confidence, and a community with a system it can trust.
6/6
Nationwide coverage
24/7 emergency dispatch expanding to every district in Belize, not just the capital.
250+
Responders trained
In incident command, emergency medicine, and technical rescue — skills that stay in the community.
90%
Women dispatchers
Over 90% of the first dispatcher cohort were women, setting a precedent for inclusive leadership.
↓
Faster response times
Coordinated dispatch cuts the delays that cost lives in the critical first minutes.
100%
Locally sustained
Belizean trainers and instructors carry the system forward without relying on outside experts.
3–4x
Multiplied giving
District and Rotary Foundation matching funds can multiply every donated dollar.
Working Together
A partnership built for the long run
Poulsbo Rotary Club (International Sponsor) and Belmopan Rotary Club (Host Sponsor) lead this effort alongside Empact International and Belize’s own emergency and training agencies.
Get Involved
Every club can play a part
Rotary clubs can join in any Rotary Year — 26/27, 27/28, or 28/29 — at whichever phase fits their focus.
Give
Contributions can be matched by District Designated Funds and The Rotary Foundation, multiplying impact up to 3–4x.
Go
Rotarians are invited to travel with the project to take part in training and evaluation on the ground in Belize.
Grow
Clubs can help leverage district and global grant funding to extend this model even further.
~$304,000
Total funding goal across all three phases
Project Leads
Reach out to get your club involved
International Sponsor
Poulsbo Rotary Club, District 5020
Brenda Grogan
Project Co-Chair • 360-710-1069
Donna Pledger
Project Co-Chair • 360-509-5080
Host Sponsor
Belmopan Rotary Club, District 4250
Implementation Partner
Empact International • www.empact.ngo