"I'm truly sorry – I won't be able to attend the donation ceremony in Kunming."
At 6:10am on Dec. 19, I received a message in our work group chat. The sender is Wang Gang, the captain of Xiamen Dawn Rescue, who is just about to board a flight to Lanzhou. Originally, he was supposed to fly to Kunming, where he was invited to attend Ford Beynod’s Brand Night event.
Click to Enlarge
Wang Gang, Captain of Xiamen Dawn Rescue
This event was being held in support of frontline public welfare organizations providing disaster relief and environmental protection, with Ford China and JMC Ford Technology donating five all-new Ford Ranger vehicles to Xiamen Dawn Rescue, Shanghai Blue Sky Rescue and Qingye Ecology. Wang Gang had initially intended to represent Xiamen Dawn Rescue at Brand Night, and to receive the donation in-person.
Click to Enlarge
However, just a few hours ago, at 23:59 on Dec. 18, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan, Gansu. Wang Gang immediately re-routed his flight to Lanzhou to head toward the disaster-stricken area.
At 3:55am on Dec. 19, the first crew representing National Dawn Rescue Alliance, the Lanzhou Dawn Rescue team, arrived in Jishishan County, Linxia, Gansu.
Around 12.20pm on Dec. 19, Wang Gang rushed to the rescue site from Guangzhou. Xiamen Dawn Rescue, along with approximately 80 members from Dawn Rescue Alliance teams from Chengdu, Mianyang, Zhangzhou, Fuyang, Huainan, Handan, Baiyin, and other locations across the country, quickly mobilized and arrived at the disaster zone with rescue equipment.
Click to Enlarge
The Dawn Rescue League from across the country
On that day, the arriving Dawn Rescue Alliance teams proceeded to the towns of Shiyuan and Dahejia to evaluate the scene, initiating life-saving missions by transferring injured individuals, searching collapsed sites and setting up emergency tents for the distribution of rescue supplies.
The 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Jishishan County reached a depth of 10 kilometers at the epicenter. It occurred late at night, and affected quite a dense population of people. As of 8am on Dec. 21, the earthquake has resulted in 135 casualties.
Wang Gang, the chief captain of Dawn Rescue Alliance, is responsible for overall coordination, mobilizing teams, equipment, and supplies from across the country. His social media posts provide continuous updates on the latest developments in the affected area and the progress of rescue operations. In the past three days, he has only slept for a total of five hours.
As the winter solstice approaches, local temperatures drop to almost -20 degrees Celsius, presenting the most significant challenge in this rescue operation. "It's so cold! We must race against time to deliver supplies to affected individuals as quickly as possible."
On Dec. 20, the rescue operation shifted from life-saving missions to treating injured individuals and resettling the affected population. The rescue team worked tirelessly to gather materials such as quilts, cotton clothing and tents, distributing them to affected communities throughout the night.
Click to Enlarge
The local children expressed their gratitude as the rescue team left the village.
Nearly 200 members of Dawn Rescue Alliance, who rushed to the scene from various locations, are working 18 hours each on a daily basis. When they reach exhaustion, they take a moment to rest in their vehicles or tents. The volunteer rescuers are all spent, but they must remain vigilant about potential aftershocks. The rescue operation is expected to continue for at least another week.
For those who have not experienced a major disaster, the Dawn Rescue Alliance team may be just a name that has been mentioned in numerous news reports. However, for those who have lived through events like the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2010 Yushu earthquake, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2021 floods in Henan, and the unprecedented rainstorms in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2023, the name represents a glimmer of hope that shines amid devastation.
Click to Enlarge
Wang Gang (right) and the Xiamen Dawn Rescue Team
And Wang Gang himself is a major source of this hope.
Facing life-and-death situations on a daily basis
Wang Gang, a retired soldier, became actively involved in public welfare and volunteer rescue work after joining in Wenchuan earthquake relief efforts. In 2014, he self-funded and established Xiamen Dawn Rescue, a public emergency rescue team. The team set up a 24-hour rescue hotline and is currently comprised of nearly 1,600 volunteers from all walks of life. Every member has received professional training and certification to provide the public with professional rescue services on a volunteer basis.
As of the publication of this article, the Xiamen Dawn Rescue team has conducted over 4,000 rescue operations and participated in 37 major disaster relief efforts across the country, helping over 300,000 people in the process.
When providing disaster relief and transferring people to safety, they often say: "It’s ok, I am here to catch you."
Click to Enlarge
As of the publication of this article, the Xiamen Dawn Rescue team has conducted over 4,000 rescue operations and participated in 37 major disaster relief efforts across the country, helping over 300,000 people in the process.
When providing disaster relief and transferring people to safety, they often say: "It’s ok, I am here to catch you."
In addition to their daily rescue tasks, the Dawn Rescue team has conducted over 500 training sessions on various rescue skills. Their footprint extends across the country and even into international communities, supporting seven rescue missions in countries including Myanmar, Nepal and Ecuador.
In February of this year, when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey, Dawn Rescue team rushed to the affected area to provide support.
The National Dawn Rescue Alliance was initiated and developed by the Xiamen Dawn Rescue team. It is a national hub-type public welfare platform that has incubated and supported nearly 100 Dawn Rescue teams across the country, providing daily services to local residents and coordinating rescue efforts where disasters have occurred.
The teams have a variety of rescue professionals and equipment, including experts in mountain and water terrain, diving, building collapse, search and rescue dogs, urban searches, psychological crisis intervention, emergency command support, and more. Volunteers across the network have actively participated in many major domestic and international disaster relief efforts.
Click to Enlarge
Wang Gang in the national recognition ceremony
In addition to disaster relief, the Dawn Rescue team has often conducted rescue efforts for individuals who have suicidal thoughts due to various factors, and even in the recovery of bodies. The volunteers have a saying: "Our daily routine is based on the unpredictability that others face." And the routine of rescue team members involves facing life-and-death situations. They strive to capture a glimmer of hope for living individuals, and on the other end, they provide the deceased with the ultimate dignity.
In November 2021, Wang Gang was honored as an advanced contributor in the national emergency management system, and was received by Xi Jinping, Chairman of PRC and other state leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Only they know the hardships behind-the-scenes of Dawn
The establishment and growth of a team is never a smooth process, and especially for a non-profit group engaged in emergency rescue and disaster relief.
Public donations often serve as the primary financial source for maintaining the rescue team's regular operations. However, whether it's personnel training or rescue equipment such as ropes, assault boats, command vehicles, heavy-duty support vehicles, amphibious vehicles, satellite communication vehicles, or supporting gear, every action requires funding.
For example, in flood-stricken areas, assault boats tend to get damaged due to the challenge of not knowing what lies beneath the murky waters – it may be tangled wires or corrugated metal roofs, submerged heavy trucks, tree branches split by the flood, floating shards of glass or other unknown sharp objects. The boots worn by team members often end up with many abrasions.
Click to Enlarge
A Ford F-150 Raptor will tow a truck carrying disaster relief supplies out of trouble.
In earthquake-stricken areas, roads are often severely damaged. Continuous aftershocks may cause falling rocks, and rescuers frequently need to make water crossings in extreme environments. This means that rescue vehicles must have strong maneuverability, off-road capability, reliability, and safety. Rescuers also need to transport rescue equipment and disaster relief supplies, so the vehicles must also have excellent carrying capacity.
When the recent earthquake hit Jishishan, the captain of the Huainan Dawn Rescue team drove a Ford F-150 Raptor from Anhui to the affected area in Gansu. While en route, he encountered a supply vehicle that was stuck on the road due to icy road conditions, so he assisted the driver and successfully helped the truck to proceed.
Click to Enlarge
Hongdou, Wang Gang's wife, used to be a public school teacher. In support of Wang Gang, she joined Xiamen Dawn Rescue before she fell ill.
The toughest times required selling off their homes…
In 2016, when the rescue team faced insurmountable difficulties, Wang Gang had to sell his two houses to overcome the crisis. "I had some hesitations about selling the houses, but I felt that what I was doing was genuinely meaningful and effective. It was worth it," he said.
Following years of dedication to maintain regular operations for the rescue team, in 2019, Wang Gang's wife, Hongdou, who had been silently supporting his philanthropic efforts, was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the heartache, this tough man still wanted to shoulder the burden on his own. He politely declined friends who attempted to show him goodwill, returning everyone's donations one by one.
Click to Enlarge
the Ford F-150 Raptor owners joining the volunteering rescue efforts during the typhoon disasters
We are coming!
Wang Gang and Hongdou’s stories have touched many people, and have inspired some passionate volunteers – a group of Ford pickup truck owners.
Over the past few years, this group of volunteers has enthusiastically participated in Wang Gang's initiatives, including transporting supplies during the pandemic and taking part in flood control and emergency rescue operations after typhoons. These pickup truck owners have contributed their resources, time and money, and have even driven vehicles awaiting registration to directly assist in urgent flood control situations. Others have generously lent their vehicles to the rescue team, becoming integral members of the Dawn Rescue team. This year, amid the flooding caused by typhoons Dusurui and Haikui, the group once again volunteered in rescue operations.
Click to Enlarge
Ford Ranger
Upon hearing the story of Wang Gang selling his house for rescue efforts, as well as his moving story of dedication and perseverance, Ford decided to donate two Ford Rangers to the Xiamen Dawn Rescue team to support its emergency rescue needs.
Based on Ford's latest and most advanced global third-generation midsize pickup platform, Ford Ranger has undergone rigorous and comprehensive durability testing across various scenarios such as tough gravel roads, water immersion, heavy dust and extreme dry conditions. Its outstanding off-road, loading, towing, and water traversing have been proven countless times, making it is the most reliable partner for outdoor disaster relief and rescue.
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Ford, in collaboration with its joint venture partner JMC, donated 11 modified Ford Transit ambulances to Hubei for pandemic prevention and control efforts. In addition, Ford donated multiple vehicles to non-profit environmental organizations to support their public welfare initiatives. Now, with the recent donations of Ford Ranger to public welfare rescue organizations, the strengths of this iconic pickup truck can be fully leveraged in impactful ways.
Click to Enlarge
Xiamen Dawn Rescue Team
