Florida National Guard, University Partner to Combat COVID-19

April 24, 2020 | BY Army Sgt. Leia Tascarini

Doctors, nurses and medics from the Florida National Guard joined Florida International University at the Miami Beach Convention Center to conduct training in preparation of possibly receiving patients at the alternate care facility.

The Guard partnered with the university to provide comprehensive training to providers from different specialties on proper protective equipment wear, medical procedures and tasks specifically related to the COVID-19 response.

"We came to an agreement based on needs so that everyone would be on the same page due to providers being from different backgrounds, like primary care providers and flight medics," said Henry Henao, director of the Simulation Teaching and Research Center at FIU. "Working with the Guard has been an honor, and everyone has been really appreciative and understanding of what we are trying to accomplish here."

Students and staff from FIU's Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences volunteered to help with the training evolution. Each training station lasted 30 minutes and concentrated on a specific topic ranging from CPR to complete emergencies involving lifelike medical dummies. This isn't the first time FIU has partnered with the Guard. They have worked together during other missions such as Exercise Patriot Sands, a joint-service emergency and natural disaster response exercise.

"We all have various skill sets, and our goal is to form teams to be completely prepared to accept patients," said Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Kevin Fitzgerald, a flight surgeon with the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing. "FIU did an excellent job putting this refresher together. They are all volunteers, and it's amazing that they came to teach us what they know to help us keep their community safe.”

The Florida National Guard has more than 2,300 guardsmen on duty in support of Florida's COVID-19 response. Soldiers and airmen are operating nine community-based testing site locations and have administered more than 50,000 sample collections to date. In addition, the Florida Guard is deploying mobile testing teams to assisted living communities and to assist the Florida Health Department's screening operations at seven local airports.

(Army Sgt. Leia Tascarini is assigned to the Florida Army National Guard’s 107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)