Photo By Maj. Benjamin Gruver | Two Soldiers of the 1077th Ground Ambulance Company prepare their ground ambulance for...... read more read more
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SALINA, Kan. - Snake bite? No problem. The 1077th Ground Ambulance Company of the Kansas Army National Guard knows what to do.
Snake bites are one of many injuries the Olathe, Kansas, based unit is prepared for while in support of Vigilant Guard 2014, a multi-state emergency response exercise hosted by Kansas National Guard at the Smokey Hill Weapons Range, Salina, Kansas.
“The first thing we would do is verify there was a snake bite,” said Sgt. Justin Goff, a medic with the 1077th Ground Ambulance Company, explaining that if a bite occurred they would first check for puncture holes and venom spewing out.
“After that, we identify what kind of snake it is, so we can know what kind of treatment and anti-venom serum to use,” said Goff. “Then, we are going to load and take them to whatever facility can handle their snake bite the best. The anti-venom is basically the only thing that is going to help them out, so we just try and regulate their body temperature, but not actually put anything on the wound because it could infect it or cause further damage.”
The chances for a snake bite are rare, but aren’t unheard of and have occurred on the GPJTC as recently as last year, when a Kansas officer candidate was bitten prior to the land navigation course.
According to Capt. Kyrie Ritzdorf, a physician assistant with the KSARNG Medical Detachment, her understanding is that the officer candidate ignored the bite and completed the exercise before realizing it was a serious issue.
“He was sent to the hospital and treated in a step-down ICU for three days,” said Ritzdorf, explaining that it took multiple viles of anti-venom to treat the patient. “If this is untreated, it can kill people, and it isn’t something that should be ignored.”
The ambulances play an important role in identifying and providing initial care of not only snake bites, but also heat injuries, fractures and head injuries, or if someone is having chest pains.
“The Ground Ambulance Company has the equipment needed to do vital signs immediately that lets us know if we need to give them glucose right now because their blood sugar is too low, or if somebody is having chest pains, to see if this is something that needs to be transported out immediately,” said Ritzdorf.
Two of the seven ambulances on hand at the exercise from the unit were used to stand ready for real-world emergencies during the exercise, augmenting two civilian ambulances, while a host of military personnel and emergency responders from across the region participated in the exercise.
The 1077th Ground Ambulance Company also had assets participating in the exercise, delivering patients to the Kansas Air National Guard Expeditionary Medical Support system, as casualties were simulated as the event went along.
“It gives us a chance to have more time to work together, so we can know how to work together,” said Capt. James Marshall, commander of the 1077th Ground Ambulance Company. “It gives us more time than what we do on the weekend where you only have so much time. We can go from patient assessments to the ambulance, to the hand-off and getting a report to the hospital as we hand them off so we can work that all at once.”
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2014 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 138507 |
| Location: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | OLATHE, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | TOPEKA, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 412 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 1077th Ambulance Company trains to save lives, by MAJ Benjamin Gruver, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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