WPAFB hosts national disaster training

by Wesley Farnsworth
88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

9/15/2014 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- More than 55 personnel from various mobile acute care teams within the National Disaster Medical System attended a three-day training event conducted by Department of Health and Human Services, Headquarters Air Mobility Command and U.S. Transportation Command, which was held here Sept. 3-5.

The National Disaster Medical System is a federal system designed to augment the nation's medical response capability by assisting both state and local authorities in dealing with the medical impacts of major peacetime disasters. It also supports the Department of Veterans Affairs and military medical system in caring for casualties evacuated back to the United States from overseas armed conventional conflicts. Additionally, the system can be used to support responders during major emergencies, including natural disasters, major transportation accidents, technological disasters and acts of terrorism.

Mobile acute care teams (MAC-T), part of the National Disaster Medical System, are responsible for packaging and preparing any patients who may require transformation on Air Force aircraft at specific aerial ports of embarkation; however they don't actually fly the missions with patients.

Lt. Col. Alan Guhlke, United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine instructor and cadre for the event, said this type of training is very important.

"This training teaches the MAC-T teams how to receive patients that may need one-on-one care from hospitals if it needed to be evacuated during a national disaster such as a hurricane or tornado," Guhlke said. "It also teaches them how to translate the skills they've developed from their normal job into the skills they will need in a natural disaster where they may have to operate in less than ideal conditions with the possibility of limited supplies."

To ensure these skills remain sharp, training for MAC-T teams is typically done on a yearly basis and normally has between 60 and 65 participants, including instructors from around the United States who attend. During the training events, participants learn about some of the capabilities of Department of Defense aircraft when it comes to transporting patients and are able to practice their skills on mannequins and low-end human patient simulators.

"We are here to teach them how the DoD does things so that they can prepare the patients for safe transport on our aircraft," Guhlke said. "Our overall goal is to be able to provide the same level of care or better that they received at their hospital while they are in transport, so that they can continue to improve."

Col. Christian Benjamin, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory commander, says communication is key to ensuring that level of care is provided.

"This has been a great opportunity for civilian disaster response teams and Air Force personnel to get together and learn to speak the same language for a common goal: quality and safe patient evacuation," Benjamin said. "This is crisis leadership in action. It's all about spanning boundaries. This critical training forges common ground to share in a common purpose and build trust. Merging our differences and integrating our skills and talents allows us to pave a path toward a future of seamless teamwork when responding to disasters."

Dr. Elieen Bulger, International Medical Surgical Response Team trauma surgeon, is one of medical personnel who attended the training. She agrees that this type of training is critical to their success.

"Disasters fortunately don't happen every day, but these teams are made up of people from all over the country who have never met each other in many cases," Bulger said. "This training is able to bring us all together so that we are learn how to work together and attempt to figure out where the problems may be in advance, which will make us for efficient when the time comes."

Overall, Guhlky, Bulger and Benjamin agree that this training was a huge success.

"Our country is ready for a natural disaster. We have medical teams of very qualified providers that stand ready to help when asked," Guhlke said.