Barksdale Airmen lead community training for Ebola response

by Capt. Phil Ventura
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/19/2014 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE La. -  -- While the risk of an Ebola outbreak here remains low, 2nd Medical Group Airmen led training Nov. 14 with local civilian emergency medical services responders and hospital staff members in order to pre-emptively strengthen coordination efforts and increase awareness of procedures in the event they are needed.

The training derived from materials developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and focused on effectively employing the protective gear that would be worn by responders.

A situation involving a virus like Ebola, "requires everyone to step it up from the traditional gowns and gloves to full coverage to prevent any possible contact with fluids," according to Maj. Carl Champion, commander of the 2nd Aerospace Medical Squadron's Bioenvironmental Flight. "We don't want to be caught unprepared."

Most of the nearly 30 trainees in attendance were experienced medical professionals who would be returning to their organizations - which ranged from large urban hospitals to smaller rural ones - to oversee the training of their peers.

"Even little tips, like how to better take off your gloves is helpful," said Nicky Browning, a Willis-Knighton hospital nurse. "Just because we've been doing something a certain way forever, doesn't mean there isn't a better way."

In addition to demonstrating how to don the protective gear, Airmen also set up and demonstrated how to properly decontaminate while transitioning from a hot to clean zone. This type of activity may be performed infrequently in most civilian medical settings, but is part of the job and routinely practiced in the military, according to SrA Alycia Provenzo, a bioenvironmental engineer with 2nd AMDS, who emphasized her units, "constant state of readiness."

It was this level of proficiency and confidence that many of the civilian attendees found beneficial in their interactions with the Air Force service members.

"They have been in it more and had boots on the ground," said Angela Tucker, a safety officer with Louisiana State University Health. "We are looking for their expertise."

While Ebola was the genesis for the training, event organizers and participants discussed past health threats such as AIDS, SARS, anthrax and influenza and reflected on how important it is to be prepared.

This point was stressed by Lt. Col. Nima Alinejad, 2nd AMDS Chief of Flight Medicine, who closed the day's training by stating that, "If - not when - this happens, we are all in it together."