Reserve medics train with Delaware State Police aero-medical unit

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The navy-blue Bell 412 helicopter emerged from the northern horizon and gracefully hovered to a landing on the Dover Air Force Base flightline April 3. Once the blades gradually whirled to a halt, a pilot and a medic with the Delaware State Police got out of the chopper. With a wave of their arms, they signaled the group of Air Force Reserve medics to come to the helicopter to begin the day's training.

The 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron paired up with the Delaware State Police Aviation Section to get some helicopter familiarization training and learn how the DSP emergency responders conduct their mission.

"Many of our Reserve medics don't get this type of training, so this was an opportunity for them to see something different," said Senior Master Sgt. Denise Hubbell, 512th AMDS nursing services superintendent, who added working around helicopters is something medics may encounter when deployed.

In a deployed situation, medics would be responsible for providing basic life support and emergency care for trauma patients, said Sergeant Hubbell. Dover AFB is home to the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III, so there is not a lot of opportunity to work around helicopters, she added.

"When a Chinook lands at Balad or another deployed location they need to know how to approach the helicopter," she said. "Today's training may not be a war zone, but it has a real-life application."

Cpl. Stephen Griffin, DSP pilot, and Cpl. Jason Baxley, DSP medic, briefed the reservists about their unit and their jobs. DSP Aviation Section operations are based at the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown and Summit Airport in Middletown, according to the DSP website. Out of the 700 state troopers, the aviation section is comprised of 14 pilots and 11 medics. The section's mission is to provide aero-medical transport of trauma victims in support of the state's fire and Emergency Management Systems. They accomplish this mission with the use of three Bell 407 helicopters, one Bell 412 helicopter and one Cessna 182 airplane.

"This is a 24-hour a day, 365-day a year job," said Corporal Griffin.

The section primarily conducts medical evacuations, but they also support ground-based law enforcement personnel throughout the state.

"We assist with searches for lost people and take aerial photos of crime scenes," said Corporal Baxley, who added that they primarily transport trauma victims from traffic accidents.

The corporals briefed the Reserve medics on the aircraft, which can transport two patients, the medical equipment they use and which hospitals they transport patients to.

The training was not typical for a Unit Training Assembly weekend, said Sergeant Hubbell.
The 512th AMDS has 27 medical technicians who assist doctors, nurses and dentists during the UTA with the mission of ensuring reservists are worldwide qualified to deploy. The squadron consists of six service areas and is charged with maintaining the medical records for more than 1,800 Airmen, providing them with medical, dental and eye examinations and immunizations.

The medics administer immunizations and assist with Airmen's physicals taking blood pressure, drawing blood, logging height and weight and other tasks. They are Emergency Medical Technicians as well, which means they train the Sunday of every UTA to keep up their qualifications, said Sergeant Hubbell. As an EMT, they are responsible for performing CPR, splinting injuries, controlling bleeding, inserting intravenous lines and accomplishing a variety of other first aid and emergency procedures.

Senior Airman Kaitlyn O'Boyle, 512th AMDS aerospace medical technician, who works in flight medicine, said the training was very informative.

"This gave me a lot of insight into what it would be like as a medic working in a deployed environment and what to expect when taking care of trauma patients," she said.

This new training allowed 512th AMDS members to learn through hands-on experience, as opposed to computer-based training or by watching a video.

Sergeant Hubbell, who transferred from the Delaware Air National Guard into the wing last year, came up with the idea for the training.

"We did this training in the Guard and it was very beneficial," she said. "We also rode along with the fire department and EMS," said the sergeant, who recently implemented the ride-along training at the 512th AMDS as well.

Following the one-hour training session with the DSP pilot and medic, the navy-blue helicopter took off into the Delaware horizon and the Reserve medics walked off the flightline toward their offices. Both groups returned to their jobs, striving to accomplish their similar missions of saving lives and serving their country.