Photo By 1st Lt. Jonathan Padish | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Brent Walker, a medical materiel technician assigned to the...... read more read more
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HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. (Aug. 4, 2019) — An emergency medical event can occur in the blink of an eye. Being prepared — and knowing what to do during an emergency — can be the difference between life and death. To that end, two Airmen assigned to the 181st Intelligence Wing have been volunteering their time to teach fellow Airmen how to handle sudden medical situations.
To teach that preparedness to fellow Airmen, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Brent Walker, a medical materiel technician assigned to the 181st IW, and Master Sgt. Tyrone Fisher, an aerospace medical technician assigned to the 181st IW, conducted a low-cost, basic life support course August 2.
“We call ourselves Two Men and a Manikin,” said Walker. “That’s how we always start off our training.”
Indeed, when students walk into the training area, they immediately find themselves surrounded by state-of-the-art manikins that provide real-time feedback to students on whether lifesaving care is being correctly rendered.
“We teach entry-level, basic lifesaving skills,” said Fisher. “The main focus is cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and automated external defibrillator familiarization.”
Nearly 20 Airmen from multiple units on base, ranging from the 137th Intelligence Squadron to the 181st Civil Engineer Squadron, attended the BLS course.
“The course is required for physical training leaders and certain career fields as part of their duty requirements,” said Fisher. “They leave with a certification that is good for two years.”
For some, having basic life support training means being able to take action when a loved one’s life is at stake.
According to Walker, he had to utilize the skills he learned through the BLS course to save his daughter’s life. She started choking one day, and Walker was able to spring into action to save her thanks to what he learned during the BLS course.
That incident is one reason why he now volunteers his time with Fisher to teach basic life support skills to others on base.
“It’s good knowledge to always have in the back of your mind,” said Walker.
Awareness of the real-life impact of the skills taught in the BLS course is what motivates Walker and Fisher to lead the course.
“We’ve been teaching the course for about three years,” said Fisher. “We’ve taught almost the entire base at this point. Now, we’re looking to expand our course offerings.”
Moving forward, Walker and Fisher hope to increase the scope of the training to include teaching military spouses and expectant parents.
The comprehensive BLS courses taught by Walker and Fisher are designed for individuals to learn how to safely and effectively respond to medical emergencies. The courses, which are run in conjunction with materials from the American Heart Association, include training on how to perform CPR, utilize AEDs and perform abdominal thrusts. Through such training courses, 181st IW Airmen are able to ensure they are ready to respond in the event of a medical emergency both on and off duty.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2019 10:55 |
| Story ID: | 334466 |
| Location: | HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, IN, US |
| Hometown: | TERRE HAUTE, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 157 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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