EMS World

MAR 2015

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C O V E R R E P O R T keeps them close to home for the longest phase of the training. "Sustainment is the other side of this coin," says Mabry. "The first side is training. Once they are trained, we have to be able to keep their skills up. This is going to be one of the big challenges to this program. There are some units that are already making arrangements to train with local civilian air ambulance programs by riding with them on actual missions. In addition, the flight medics could work for civilian EMS agen- cies on their off-dut y time to gain experience and make some extra money for themselves. A lot of the sustainment structure is still being designed. "What I hope will hap- pen is the Army develops some regional relation- ships with major medical centers so the f light medics will be able to do ongo- ing training without going too far from their home station. We also may bring them back to Fort Sam Houston every few years to update their training." The Army is also looking at improving documen- tation as the new f light medics treat patients. The patient's chart will have all the care provided by the flight medics documented for medical person- nel treating the patient hours or days later. It will also help with prehospital research projects, as well as provide quality assurance/quality improvement opportunities for the flight medics. The U.S. Army Medical Evacuation Proponency Directorate at Fort Rucker, AL, is working on a stan- dard set of Army-wide protocols that will be used by the new flight medics. The local units will have the ability to adjust these protocols based on local condi- tions and the skill set of the flight medics. U.S. Army f light medics have a long history of caring for the sick and injured in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. The lessons learned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have found their place in civilian emergency medicine, and advanced civilian prehospital care has found a place in the military. ONLINE EXTRAS Be sure to read the online version of this article with an expanded interview with Steve Park about his experiences in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army flight medic. See www.emsworld. com/12036934. 50 MARCH 2015 | EMSWORLD.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR HH-60M BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER The UH-60 Black Hawk is the helicopter assigned to U.S. Army air ambu- lance units. The latest model is the HH-60M. The HH designates it as a special version with a medical interior and other additions to the standard Black Hawk airframe. The HH-60M is replacing earlier versions of the Black Hawk in air ambulance units. A total of over 350 is expected to be fielded. The basic M model has improved engines and rotor blades for a greater payload and better performance on hot days and at high altitudes. It also has what is known as a "glass" cockpit. This means the standard mechani- cal instruments have been replaced by four multi-function displays that look like computer screens. It has an embedded GPS system and a digital moving map display that shows where the helicopter is, as well as the ter- rain around the helicopter. The helicopter can cruise at 170 mph. The HH air ambulance package adds a gimbaled pod with a Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) camera that "sees" the heat of objects. This can be useful at night and in poor visibility. The pod also contains a low- light-level camera. The main feature of the HH package is a medical inte- rior in the cabin much like that found in a civilian air ambulance. It has six litter holders, three on each side of the cabin, with power lifts. The litters are arranged fore and aft. As a patient is loaded, the litter is lifted up so the next patient can be loaded. In addition to standard white lights, the cabin is equipped with night vision goggle-compatible lights. There are also two main seats on tracks in the cabin that rotate 180 degrees for the crew. Other features of the medical cabin: • Internal oxygen manufacturing system with three outlets on each side of the cabin; • Vacuum outlets for suctioning, three on each side of the cabin; • Impact Model 754 transport ventilator; • Zoll CCT cardiac monitor/defibrillator; • Propac Encore monitor; • Three-channel IV pump; • Independent cabin heating and air conditioning system; • System of soft packs on the walls to hold medical supplies; • Assortment of splints and other gear found in any ambulance. Space inside a UH-60 air ambulance is about the same as in a ground ambulance. U.S. Army Barry D. Smith is an instructor in the Education Department at the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) in Reno, NV. Contact him at bsmith@remsa-cf.com.

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