Photo By Master Sgt. Nathan Hutchison | Soldiers from the 441st Medical Company who trained the Kuwaiti national guard are,...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Nathan Hutchison
1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Public Affairs
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. And where there's fire, there's usually a need for medical assistance.
At least that's the theory behind the medical first responders training being conducted with Kuwaiti National Guard firefighters at Camp Tahreer, Kuwait.
"The goal of this course is to give them a basic knowledge of responding to an emergency call," said Staff Sgt. Christina M. Ison, 441st Medical Company, Ground Ambulance from Seagoville, Texas. "They have never had any medical experience besides what we provided them this week. As a firefighter you are going to respond to medical calls."
The four-day class includes basic life-saving techniques that will allow the firefighters to sustain patients before emergency medical technicians arrive.
"Sometimes it takes a while for EMT to get on scene in an emergency. [Firefighters] are usually first on scene," said Sgt. Travis R. Korenek, 441st MC. "Our job here is to basically give them the foundation into medical aid."
Korenek was able to aid the Kuwaiti soldiers with his medical training and experience, and his civilian job added credibility to his training.
"At the beginning of the class I let them know that I am a firefighter back home. So I know where they're coming from," Korenek said. "I do the same job, fighting fires, but the only difference in the United States is that we can also do medical."
Ison, from Junction City, Kan., said they were not only giving these firefighters their first medical training, but also educating them on what medical procedures they are allowed to perform.
Because they are not certified EMTs, they are only allowed to give basic treatments. But knowing how to apply bandages to stop bleeding could mean the difference between life and death for a casualty.
"In the span of four days we were able to teach them to preserve life, limb and eyesight ... for that, I think they did really well," Ison said.
"The last day was a culmination of the four days of training, putting it into a practical exercise, and letting them get hands on [experience] from the start of a call to packaging a patient and getting them ready for transport."
The firefighters were given mock calls during the practical exercise, and they responded to preset scenes on the camp. They had to react to both fire and medical issues, just as they would in real life.
The medical team expressed their approval by presenting the firefighters a certificate of training, and tasked their former students to continue training and practicing what they had learned.
Col. Hashem Refaie, Commander of the Kuwaiti National Guard Combat Support Command, said he was honored to have the 441st medics training his firefighters, and that he looks forward to strengthening the bond between the KNG and their American counterparts.
"It was a fast class, but it was a foundation," Korenek said.
"Hopefully they will expand on that, and eventually get their EMT basic."
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2009 05:27 |
| Story ID: | 29631 |
| Location: | CAMP ARJIFAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 867 |
| Downloads: | 669 |
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