EMTs expand skillset, number of lives saved

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Victoria Sneed
  • 1 Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  When someone has a medical emergency calling 911 is most peoples' first response.

Until 2010, Hurlburt Field relied on the local county ambulance to respond to emergencies if they happened on nights or weekends. This could cause a 20 to 30 minute delay in care.

Thanks to an initiative by the 1st Special Operations Medical Group, there are now more than 20 fully qualified paramedics on staff 24/7.

"Until three years ago we were a basic life support unit with only emergency medical technicians at a basic level," said Staff Sgt. Angel Urgilez, 1st Special Operations Medical Operations Squadron aerospace medical technician. "We could only give a patient IV fluid at that level. We could not perform any of the lifesaving abilities a paramedic is qualified to do."

Those lifesaving skills include administering shocks for cardiac arrest, giving medication and inserting a breathing tube. All of these skills can mean the difference between life and death when en route to an emergency room, said Urgilez.

In the last fiscal year, 500 calls were dispatched for emergency care on base. The rate of survival has increased more than 90 percent due to the quick response time and increased skills of the paramedics.

"Before we became an advanced life support unit, we would have to wait for county to arrive [for transport]," said Urgilez. "Now we can respond in minutes, and that time can mean a world of difference if a patient has no heartbeat or isn't breathing."

Now, when Airmen arrive from technical training, they are in the field. They shadow a paramedic and learn skills they will use after they attend paramedic school, said Senior Airman Ashley Coe, 1st SOMDOS aerospace medical technician.

"It has made me a better medic," said Coe, who recently returned from paramedic school. "I understand the process of triaging and treating patients better. I feel more prepared to treat in the field."