Standby medic

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anania Tekurio
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Within seconds of the announcement of two words, standby medic, 28th Medical Operations Squadron emergency medical technicians are poised to spring into action to  respond to potential life or death situations.

In emergencies or combat, when physicians are not always immediately available to treat the injured or wounded, emergency medical technicians provide basic and emergency medical treatment.

"We respond first to an emergency," said Staff Sgt. Jason Stee, 28th MDOS Nationally Registered EMT. "We're trained to handle the situation until those injured can be taken in for complete medical treatment."

As an EMT, Stee and his team are trained to examine and treat emergency or battlefield patients, interview the injured and record medical histories, take their temperature, pulse and blood pressure, prepare blood samples for laboratory analysis and administer immunizations and medicines, among other tasks.

"Being an EMT in the Air Force means that we are nationally certified and are continually training and renewing required certifications to stay up to date and ready at all times," said Staff Sgt. Cory Marquez, 28th MDOS NR EMT.

The EMTs are on duty 24/7 and can be found spending most of their time at the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter station where they respond to emergencies with Ellsworth's firefighters.

"We work closely with the firefighters here," Stee said. "We are not only responding to those injured in whatever incident may have occurred but we are also there for the firefighters, in case anything happens to them."

EMTs reside in the firehouse with the firefighters and are considered an integral part of the team.

Marquez stated that it is a group effort when responding to an emergency - if the scene isn't completely safe when the EMTs arrive, the firefighters will go in and secure the scene allowing the EMTs to respond.

"Responding to major incidents doesn't happen much on base, which is good," Stee said. "However, when I hear those words, 'Standby Medic,' the adrenaline starts pumping through my body and I know all the training I've gone through is about to pay off and save a life."