Special Report: How the Red Cross has helped the residents in Ciudad Juarez during and after drug war

From 2008 to 2010, Ciudad Juarez was crippled by a drug war.

In 2010 — at the height of the cartel violence — the city averaged 8.5 killings per day and was called the “murder capital of the world.”

One organization played a crucial role in humanitarian efforts during that time –the Red Cross.

In Juarez, it is the main agency that provides first aid.

The health care providers — who at times faced danger themselves — are now seeing a difference.

On a recent Friday night, the phone lines are busy at the Juarez Red Cross dispatch center.

Responders on their way to their call have ‘89s music on the radio providing a soundtrack for the night, perhaps a little sign of normality.

Five years ago it was a different story.

Emergency crews entrusted by the public would treat up to 40 or 50 victims a day.

One paramedic told ABC-7, “We don’t know if one of these days it can be our turn.”

Red Cross worker Adrian Melendez says volunteers still continued to provide services even during the heaviest time of violence when Red Cross ambulances were stopped by cartel members.

The patients they were treating were shot dead.

In 2009, a car bomb injured three Red Cross first responders.

“There’s less calls about violence,” said Jesus Beckman, a doctor working for the Red Cross.

He says the city, with close to 1.5 million people, is seeing changes.

“Violence has dropped a lot and you can see it because people are coming out more often and you can see more movement in the city,” Beckman said.

On a recent Friday night, ABC-7 rode along as Red Cross paramedics treated accident victims throughout the city.

More people feeling confident about their safety means more people are out and about.

Melendez says the emergencies the are now called out to have more to do with domestic accidents, falls, and injuries.

Despite seeing less violence, some they say it haunts them

They have learned from the experience that helps them now.

“We worked a lot with keeping our volunteers safe with techniques on approaching victims, with the way they handle situations, and especially given the medical attention given on traumas like those (calls),” Melendez said.

Traumas they can’t afford to forget.

On this recent Friday night, a man was shot through his window and he managed to drive to a clinic where he died.

It’s a reminder of a big city dealing with big city issues.

The Red Cross in Juarez covers an area of more than 80 square miles and with close to 200 first responders. Around 80 of them are volunteers.