Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tawny Kruse | Spc. Brandon Shoemaker, a biomedical equipment specialist with Company C, 334th...... read more read more
In a small classroom at Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center, a small machine buzzed loudly every few seconds as an Iowa National Guard Soldier wrapped up the validation process for eight medical ventilators. Spc. Brandon Shoemaker, a biomedical equipment repairer with Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion, has helped calibrate and validate over 50 ventilators since coming on orders in March to help in the fight against COVID-19.
“My main mission is to provide support and technical knowledge of the equipment we’re using to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Shoemaker said. “It’s definitely been a very cool experience.”
Thanks to Shoemaker and his logistics team, Soldiers and Airmen assigned to Task Force (TF) Central and TF West worked together to transport ventilators to area hospitals. Additional ventilators are being reserved pending additional need for support.
Shoemaker, of Des Moines, Iowa, also repairs biomedical equipment for his civilian career. He said biomedical repair is a very specialized section of the electronics field, and it comes with a strict set of regulations compared to some other electronic fields in the military.
“It takes extra training on some of the safety circuits,” Shoemaker said. “Then you also have to understand the anatomy and physiology that goes into the work you’re doing, because you have to understand the application of the equipment you’re working on. It doesn’t just stop at electronics, it’s patient care.”
Some of the ventilators he has validated are commonly found in civilian hospitals, but some, such as the Simplified Automated Ventilator (SAVe), are tailored specifically for military use, with tactical settings available that reduce lighting or volume.
“These SAVe ventilators have set rates, so on something this simple, you turn them on and make sure those set rates are in compliance and they’re accurately delivering the advertised rates,” Shoemaker said. “You have to make sure they meet parameters and are providing what they need so they won’t hurt a potential patient.”
When he’s not performing physical tests on the ventilators, Shoemaker spends two days out of each week working from home, where he lives with his wife and three children. He said remote work is a big part of his career, so he’s familiar with best practices.
With a newborn now at home, Shoemaker said his wife’s support as he isolates himself to research and compile information on the ventilators is greatly appreciated.
“I’m making cheat sheets operators can look at with simple troubleshooting things they can do on their own,” Shoemaker said. “They have easy functionality references if they’re having issues getting it to work properly or if they’re not familiar with the unit.”
While Shoemaker said he is proud to be supporting Iowans while in uniform, he also feels the pressure from a critical, high-visibility mission.
With all eyes on him, Shoemaker emphasized the importance of staying connected while being physically isolated at work and at home.
“Biomedical repair is a tight knit community,” Shoemaker said. “I use communication groups on social media to stay in touch, and I get up every now and then for small breaks when working from home.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2020 16:38 |
| Story ID: | 369549 |
| Location: | JOHNSTON, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | DES MOINES, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 219 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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