Courtesy Photo | Members of the 154th Medical Group Detachment 1 (DET1) and USAR Team Members from...... read more read more
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Members of the 154th Medical Group Detachment 1 (DET1) successfully participated in the 2024 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Medical Specialist Course, from June 1-7, held at the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Training Center in Livermore, CA.
The annual course is hosted by California Task Force 4 in the East Bay area of Northern California and brings together some of the most experienced USAR professionals from around the nation to hold lectures and navigate through a plethora of hands-on training in a realistic field-training environment.
Lt. Col. Hiura, 154th Medical Group (MDG) DET1 mission commander, said that the course is a rare and privileged opportunity to train alongside USAR Task Forces from all over the nation, with the 24 Hawaii ANG members joining in as the only military participants.
Its world-class instructor cadre includes physicians, rescue firefighters, paramedics and veterinarians who have deployed in response to the Oklahoma City bombing, Sri Lanka Tsunami, Haiti Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami that struck Tōhoku in Japan, events of 9/11, the recent 2022 Surfside apartment collapse in Florida and many other disasters.
Students became proficient with patient packaging and extrication in confined spaces, ingress and egress of collapsed structures and medical management of crush injury. They also practiced emergency surgical airways, intubations, ventilator management and field amputations on real tissue samples.
This marked the third consecutive year of having DET1 members attending as students, having three enrolled, and its second year with DET1 members participating as instructors. Maj. Jason Habu, 154th MDG DET1 Search and Extractions Rescue Operations officer-in-charge and one of the two instructors from DET 1, emphasized how the course's realism and intensity mirrored real-life disaster scenarios.
"The class was a physically intense experience where you’re crawling around in a live rubble pile extricating live patients,” said Habu. “Imagine exerting yourself trying to reach a patient, then having to treat and extricate them while being drilled by an MD on how and why you are providing certain medical treatments."
Further integrating into this year’s course, 19 other members from DET1 also attended to fulfill the needs of an on-scene Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT). This mobilized unit provides prehospital treatment and rapid-response medical care during public health and medical emergencies.
Master Sgt. Kyra Santos, a 154th MDG DET1 aerospace medical technician and DMAT participant, stated that standing up this capability was only possible because the men and women of DET1 bring a wide variety of medical and emergency response backgrounds from their civilian and military roles, ranging from administrative support and medics to nurses and physicians.
Portions of the course included a simulated mass casualty scenario, where attendees extricated and treated simulated patients using live actors and mannequins. These patients were then transported to the DET1 treatment team for triage, treatment, and stabilization.
The training utilized rubble piles made from live materials, adding an element of realism with the potential for shifting as simulated victims were egressed. This level of authenticity was so realistic that an actual USAR rescue team was on standby during the training to respond in case of a real-world collapse.
In addition to the realistic scenarios, the training schedule was designed to match the intensity of a real incident. Students and instructors alike put in 12–16-hour days, often starting at 7:30 a.m. and finishing close to midnight.
This grueling schedule culminated with a final 18-hour exercise, with a scenario that involved a simulated 8.4 earthquake that resulted in structure collapse with multiple casualties and survivors requiring extrication, medical management and transport.
"This course was challenging to our HIANG members because, out of a class of 36, our three were the only military members,” said Habu. “The class is usually only open to USAR Task Force Team Members, which typically include firefighters and physicians. Our members stick out like sore thumbs, but their great attitudes and hard work made them successful. Because of these attributes, we have been invited back to participate in this training as students and adjunct #instructors, which is an honor for us."
Currently, the State of Hawaii does not have an assigned FEMA USAR Task Force and DET 1 is helping to fill this void in the event of a disaster or catastrophic event that involves Search and Rescue operations. Detachment 1 is one of 17 CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package medical units in the U.S. and the first to have five certified FEMA USAR Medical Specialists.
DET1's mission is to deliver scalable responses to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, and disaster medical emergencies worldwide. Holding this training event alongside civilian emergency response counterparts significantly enhanced their capabilities and preparedness, as such collaboration is crucial because teamwork and coordination are expected in real-world crises.
Hiura said that DET1 has been fostering a strong relationship with the FEMA USAR Training Coordinator for more than seven years to ensure seamless integration and joint preparedness efforts.
“Attending these specific courses allows our members to learn the latest life-saving measures and guidelines from medical professionals who are the subject matter experts in this field,” said Hiura. “Many of these skills learned are perishable if not used or practiced. I believe our DET1 Airmen will be more prepared to make a difference in saving lives if Hawaii experiences a major disaster.”
| Date Taken: | 07.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2024 03:47 |
| Story ID: | 475656 |
| Location: | LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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