Vermont Guard medics host Essex Center for Technology health profession students

Photo By Joshua Cohen | U.S. Army Sgt. Claire Johnson, a flight paramedic with C Company 3rd regiment 126th Aviation (Air Ambulance), provides explanations for medical equipment carried on the M997A3 ambulance to students in the health profession visiting Camp Johnson in Colchester, Vt., Oct. 25, 2021. The Guard hosted students from the Center for Technology in Essex, VT. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)  

COLCHESTER, VT, UNITED STATES

10.25.2021

Story by Joshua Cohen 

Joint Force Headquarters - Vermont National Guard Public Affairs

On Monday, Oct. 25, Vermont Guard medics hosted students enrolled in health profession courses at the Center for Technology in Essex Vermont. The Army medics staged equipment, including an M997A3 ambulance at the Camp Johnson armory for students to inspect.

During the day-long event, students rotated through training stations. One instructed students on how to stop hemorrhage by application of tourniquets and direct pressure techniques. Another provided students with guidance on properly securing a patient to a litter for transportation. A third station had students actually transport a stretcher with a simulated casualty.

According to Sarah Knight, Work Based Learning Coordinator for the Center for Technology, “this is an exploratory program, we are here with the Health Professions Program of our school and 18 students, many are looking to become registered nurses and some surgeons, and some are interested in the military so we have a full range of interests.”

Knight said training the Guard provides lines up with basic life support and first aid certifications offered by the Center.

“Our main focus is how to stop a major hemorrhage, because it is the number one preventable cause of death, second is how to safely move a patient out of harm’s way,” according to Staff Sgt. Ian Macknair, acting readiness NCO with C Company (Medical) 186th Brigade Support Battalion.

“We have NATO standard litters and are using CAT tourniquets for the training,” he explained.

Sgt. Claire Johnson, a flight paramedic with C Company 3rd Regiment 126th Aviation (Air Ambulance) provided explanations for medical equipment carried on the M997A3 ambulance while instructing students on proper casualty transport.

“Today we are going over how to stop the bleed and patient packaging so we’re teaching the students the important things that you have to do while transferring a patient and how to have the best outcome for your patient and the little things that you can do. The students are already taking medical courses so they have a lot of interest and some background and knowledge, it has been really great getting all their perspectives and questions geared toward the medical side,” Johnson said.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2021
• Date Posted: 10.25.2021 14:00
• Story ID: 407946
• Location: COLCHESTER, VT, US