Nursing students in biology class at Coastal Alabama Community College were privileged last Thursday to get a visit from LifeFlight to see first hand the medical equipment and capabilities offered when an emergency air lift transport is needed.
Students, firefighters, campus police and others gathered in an open field on the campus to wait for the helicopter as excitement grew. An emergency transport call before the scheduled visit to the campus knocked the schedule offby an hour.
“We can pretty much handle anything,” said Flight Paramedic William Morton. “We have equipment that is very much like that of a hospital room. We can handle patients who need ICU, intubation and airway ventilation, cardiac monitor intervention, CPR (we have a LUCAS device), critical care and other conditions. There’s not a lot that we cannot handle,” he said.
The flight crew answered questions and explained a lot about flight travel and medical experiences they have encountered to nursing students.
“Alumnus and Flight Nurse Jessica Nesmith Easley, an adjunct nursing teacher who works here with me also works with LifeFlight,” said Nursing Instructor Sarah Matthews. “Easley and Dakota Ward, who also works with LifeFlight, got together and made this happen.”
In determining how much fuel is needed to fly where it needs go, Flight Pilot Jerome Jaynes said there is a formula with many variables used to determine that information. Jaynes, who learned to fly helicopters in the U.S. Army, said his career as a pilot continued with LifeFlight after he served in the military.
“There are usually three to four medical personnel on the flight at any given time,” said Jaynes. “There are several variables we have to calculate, such as weight of equipment, the helicopter and people on board, wind speed and direction and other aspects we use to make sure the flight will go safely. There is definitely a science to it.”
Jaynes said his only job is to keep everyone on board alive and safe. He said there is no cross-over training between the pilot and medical staff on board. Each staff serves a special purpose to make the team and any transport safe and run like a well-oiled machine.
“When we get a call and have to go do a transport, it usually takes 3 to 5 minutes to become airborn from start to finish,” said Easley. “We get our equipment on, Jerome does his systems checks, start her up and we are off the ground.”
Brewton CACC Campus Director Dennis Fuqua met with the Brewton Fire Department as they arrived to be there as a safety measure prior to LifeFlight’s arrival.
“This is an enriching opportunity for our nursing students to explore that potential career field,” said Fuqua. “We are very proud to have a Brewton campus alumnus on that flight crew as well as a current nursing student also on that staff. We also want to thank the Brewton Fire Department for being on campus for this event.”
