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A rapid cluster of bells sounds throughout the ship followed by one single bell. An announcement over the 1MC alerts the crew of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) that there is a medical emergency.
Each crew member knows medical responds to these emergency situations. Most crew members know security also responds to set boundaries and protect the identity of the fallen or ill Sailor. However, some Sailors may not know of the small engineering shop that also responds to these medical emergency situations. That team consists of nine personnel assigned to engineering auxiliaries shop 8 (EA08).
“I think the rest of the ship and maybe the Navy probably just thinks we do the dirty work,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Kevin Harrison, the EA08 leading petty officer. “But the machinist’s mate rate has a broad band of responsibilities and jobs.”
One of those jobs is to respond and report to a medical evacuation (medevac) elevator every time a medical emergency gets called away.
There are two medevac elevators on board – elevators number three and nine. Stores elevator three is the primary elevator used in a medical emergency and is located within the aircraft intermediate maintenance department tunnel on the main deck. This elevator has a permanent cage installed to help transport the injured Sailor down to main medical to prevent further injury during the transport.
Stores elevator number nine is the elevator used in mass casualty situations and is located in the aft end of hangar bay two on the starboard side. A temporary cage is installed prior to every underway as one of EA08’s 48-hour pre-underway check.
“We wait for bells,” said Harrison. “No matter what we’re doing, our job is to respond to any medical emergency or emergency medevac. That is our primary purpose, to support the medical department and the crew. We treat every medical response as an actual casualty, 365, 24-7.”
Often times, the daily jobs of EA08 personnel are halted in the event of a medical emergency.
“We could be in the middle of changing out a mechanical seal and if we hear those bells then we have to go,” said Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Mary Allinder, who works in EA08. “It does not matter what we are doing, the medical emergency becomes the priority.”
Of the nine people assigned to EA08, a minimum of five have to respond to a medical emergency to safely operate the elevators.
“Once we hear those bells, we automatically run to elevator number three,” said Allinder. “Once we get there, we man up and call central to let them know elevator three is manned and ready and we are standing by.”
The bright yellow doors of the cage are immediately opened in anticipation for the patient. Once the patient gets to the members of EA08, they are safely loaded into the elevator and the stretcher is secured in place. The elevator is sent down where another pair of EA08 members wait to receive the patient to continue the transport to main medical. The patient’s entire experience with the members of EA08 could last less than a minute. However, this experience is so important because of the time it saves compared to using other methods of transportation.
In the event of a medical emergency, the importance of calling 211 is that the ship’s bells alert more than just medical to the casualty. The ship’s bells keep many Sailors on their toes; the personnel assigned to EA08 are no different.
“My adrenaline starts pumping every time we get called to a medical emergency because I just want to help those people,” said Allinder. “Our whole purpose is so that no one will die. You get professional. You know your role. You make sure everything gets done and that the person gets taken care of regardless of what happened. It’s game time. It’s real. It’s not a joke. This could be someone’s life in your hands.”
The importance of this job comes with great responsibility, but it also can come with great satisfaction.
“It gives me a great feeling knowing we are there helping our people,” said Chief Engineman Timothy Frazier, the EA08 leading chief petty officer. “Doing what we do gives you a warm feeling knowing we are doing our part to help out our Shipmates.”
As is one of the Navy’s mottos: Ship, Shipmate, Self. EA08 abides by those words. In the event of a medical emergency, make way for those members of medical department, security department, but also the division of EA08.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2018 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 264417 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Medevac: More than Medical, by PO2 Elizabeth Thompson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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