Both MedX and CareFlight brought aircraft to Battle Mountain for the training and taught students how to safely work around their resources during a medical emergency.
With help from CareFlight of Fallon, the Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain Fire Management Program, hosted the 3rd annual Multi-agency CareFlight Training in Battle Mountain on June 6.
Other agencies that contributed are MedX from both Winnemucca and Elko, Lander County EMS, Battle Mountain Hospital and Newmont Mine Rescue.
“To be successful in the fast pace, high-intensity world of wildland firefighting, having effective partnerships is absolutely essential,” said Brock Uhlig, fire management officer for BLM’s Battle Mountain District. “This training brings together some of the major emergency/medical response resources in Northern Nevada, creating the perfect opportunity to reduce the stress of unknowns when it comes time to provide medical care for an injured firefighter.”
Following a safety message and short brief about the day’s activities, BLM instructor Thomas Dockery provided the roughly 35 students a quick overview of the different training stations that included burn care, helicopter and fixed wing aircraft safety, shelter deployment, landing and crash zone identification and a full emergency patient transport scenario utilizing a MedX helicopter.
“All of the agencies have their own processes, rules and equipment they use to manage a medical emergency and the BLM is no different,” said Dockery. “The value of this training is all these agencies get an opportunity to learn how the others operate, and everyone involved learns how to work together effectively during a real emergency.”
The Battle Mountain BLM Fire Program started this training after identifying a need to improve communication across agencies and increase the number of multi-agency training opportunities. Last year’s CareFlight session was held in Austin, Nev., and will shift to a third location in 2019.
Battle Mountain BLM thanks all the agencies that came together and made the training happen. BLM also gives recognition to the CareFlight organization from Reno for providing the hands-on and interactive education needed for the training to be a success for three consecutive years.