posted October 14, 2024

Joint multi-agency training prepares teams for real-life emergencies

KINGMAN, AZ – Oct. 14, 2024 — Public safety organizations throughout the country develop response paradigms to meet evolving challenges, threats, and incidents. As part of this commitment, TriState CareFlight trains regularly with first responders and local agencies to be prepared for any emergent situation. Recently, CareFlight joined forces with Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC), local EMS, law enforcement, fire, 911 dispatch teams, and the Arizona Department of Transportation in a mass casualty training exercise at the Arizona State Prison to focus on these evolving challenges.

The one-day training exercise, built from the ground up through a coordinated effort by all participating agencies, simulated a critical incident involving a prison van where a multi-agency response was needed.      

“Each agency plays a pivotal role in responding to emergencies,” said KRMC Emergency Medicine Assistant Program Director Stevy Merrill. “It’s helpful to practice skills that are not often used to encourage interprofessional communication and work through the processes of a mass casualty incident that are rarely seen.”  

CareFlight has participated in these mass-casualty trainings for the past three years. Training with partner agencies ensures an understanding of best practices in landing zone safety and the logistics of patient safety in transport whether through ground or air ambulance.

“Training for any incident is critical to response times, care, and coordination for the communities we serve,” said CareFlight Flight Paramedic and Base Outreach Coordinator Brandy Klemer. “With emergency training such as this, each agency is gaining the knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools to respond under stressful conditions.”

The CareFlight team responds when dispatched through a 911 call, a local first responder agency request, or a call from a hospital requesting an interfacility transfer. The flight team is comprised of a seasoned pilot and a highly trained critical care team consisting of a nurse and a paramedic. Responding to an incident scene, the team stabilizes the patient for transport to the receiving hospital. On every transport mission, the clinical team carries whole blood and will administer it in flight, if necessary, positively increasing patient outcomes through pre-hospital care. CareFlight is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) – the highest standards in safety, clinical practice, quality assurance, and training in the industry. They provide lifesaving services without requiring a membership to avoid a costly bill.

“Where seconds make all the difference in saving a life, trainings like these create a lot of muscle memory so when the call to action is real, we are ready to respond seamlessly and quickly,” said Klemer. “This gives practical and first-hand experience when responding to any critical incident big or small.”