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EMT: Beyond the call of duty

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Natasha E. Stannard
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The road to becoming an Emergency Medical Technician is an extensive ongoing process, which begins in the preliminary 13 weeks of technical training school and follows on to a six week training program in which Airmen rotate through different areas of the hospital for clinical training. 

Upon completion of the technical training segments, Airmen continue to go through refresher courses and upgrade training throughout their career in order to maintain qualifications in CPR and EMT certification. They constantly retrain on an array of medications and equipment, and also conduct annual hazmat training in case chemicals are involved with a situation, Airman 1st Class Michael Stevens, 92nd Medical Dental Squadron Medical Technician said. 

"We're training all the time," Airman Stevens said. "It's not just medical things that we're training for. Anytime a fire alarm goes off, we roll out with the fire department, anytime there's an in-flight emergency we're rolling out there too. We need to be prepared and know what were doing." 

Airman Stevens said last August their training was a vital aid; as high winds pushed a fire onto base, putting it out required a multiagency effort between the fire department and the EMTs. Temperatures blazed to such high degrees that they had to monitor the firefighters for signs of dehydration. 

Incidentally, training creates proficiency in every facet of this career field, which is essential because on scene there generally are no doctors to help--it's just the technicians and the patient, said Airman Stevens. 

"The patient looks at you as the calm in the storm," Airman Stevens said. "If you go on a call and you're freaking out you're going to scare the patient, so you need to stay calm, cool and collected." 

As far as a technician's response to their first call goes, it can be difficult to remain calm. The situation can be overwhelming, but they have their own calm in the storm to look to--their partners. 

"You feed off of your partner, which refreshes you and helps calm you down," Airman Stevens said. "After a while, nothing will get you amped up on a call--you tend to stay relaxed, which is important." 

Staying relaxed is necessary because EMTs have to be prepared for a variety of unexpected situations. A crew delivered a baby in the ambulance, leaving them in complete disbelief with what they had accomplished. Coming face-to-face with training scenarios is surreal. When capabilities are put to the test and obstacles are conquered, its mind blowing, said Airman Stevens. 

"The first time I did an IV on a patient I was scared and gentle," Airman Stevens said. "I thought about how much it was going to hurt, but now it's to the point were I don't even think about it--I have to do this to help the patient. You want them to be comfortable, but at the same time you don't want your fears to impact the patients' care." 

Technicians not only have to prepare for manifold scenarios, but they also have to comply with patients' personalities which range all over the spectrum. For the most part calls are routine regarding symptoms; however, the difficulty of the call rests in the hands of the patient's attitude. It's much easier to do the job efficiently when the patient listens, Airman Stevens said. 

Incidentally seeing cooperative patients come in for follow-ups is a superlative benefit, which private sector ambulances don't have the opportunity to experience. Even if they don't come in for follow-ups it's still very rewarding to see them because they'll simply thank the crew, Airman Stevens said. 

"Its unique to see the results of your care and see that person up and walking again when just a while ago they weren't able to," Airman Stevens said. 

Along with unique benefits come various difficulties including those faced on the snow, covered streets here. The private sector ambulance generally handles transporting the patients downtown; however, once snow hits the ground this proves to be a difficult task as it gets busier and more difficult to commute in the winter months, the Fairchild crew will help transport patients, Airman Stevens said. 

"Last winter was really bad, we had chains on our ambulance--there were streets in base housing we couldn't go down--the snow was piled up and there were cars on the road too, so we couldn't get our ambulance down the street in certain places, so we had to park the ambulance on the side of the road and trek through snow to the patients," Airman Stevens said. 

Harsh weather conditions, 24 hour daily operations 365 days a year, 12 hours shifts, and countless hours of training are only part of this cohesive group's calls of duty.