On Monday, November 4th, students in instructor Lisa Harbert’s EMS Operations class had the unique opportunity to witness a live demonstration of an emergency helicopter crew working tandem with a local fire and rescue station.
As in true dramatic fashion, Carilion Clinic’s Life-Guard 10 landed in the campus’s parking lot just as it would in an emergency situation with crews from the City of Salem’s Fire-EMS Department on hand to provide landing assistance.
[img]Upon landing, the flight crew gave students a tour of the helicopter explaining how its space is able to accommodate up to two patients, two medical attendants, and two pilots. Students also learned about the various medical gear onboard the helicopter including oxygen and advance airway supplies, critical care medications, cervical collars and other splinting devices, a ventilator, and cardiac and pediatric equipment.
Before and after the live demonstrations, students heard from flight medic David Thomas who shared his personal experiences about what working on the life-saving helicopter was like.
Kelly Waskewicz is one of several students that benefitted from this exciting learning opportunity. She is in her last term of the emergency medical technology – paramedic degree program and hopes to start her new career at a local fire and/or emergency medical service agency. “I love that this college provides visual learning opportunities like this,” Kelly said as she expressed the value of the real-life experiences that ANU provides its students. “Even though I may not be a flight medic, this helps me to see all of the opportunities that are available in this field.”
Kelly previously earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science but soon after she finished her program, she realized that her true passion was in the medical field. She and fellow student Dan Noel are both working at an externship with the City of Salem Fire-EMS Department where she works 24 hours on and 24 hours off. “I sleep there with the rest of the crew. We eat together. I get the whole experience.”
Kelly is excited about her new career and is thankful to ANU for helping her accomplish her career goals. “ANU brought my education to the next level,” Kelly said with excitement for her new career possibilities. “There’s not one thing that I learned from this program that won’t help me when I enter the field.”
In the top photo, students are pictured with their instructor Lisa Harbert, the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 medic crew and pilot, Salem Fire Department, campus director Ron Bradbury (left) and ANU President Frank Longaker (2nd left).
In the bottom photo, Kelly Waskewicz is pictured on the right learning about the inside of a life-saving helicopter during the Life-Guard 10 demonstration.
