Annie Beurman
Reporting correspondent
abeurma1@jccc.edu
A paramedic has to be ready for a wide array of emergencies while on the job. On Wednesday, with the help of Med-Act and LifeFlight, the college provided paramedics in training a chance to tour and learn about a Life Flight Eagle helicopter.
Med-Act is an emergency organization that provides all cities in Johnson County with pre-hospital treatments and emergency transportation to the nearest hospital when someone is injured or seriously ill. LifeFlight Eagle delivers transportation for the same situations by helicopter.
In order to teach medical students about the procedures of LifeFlight, as well as the basics of the emergency helicopter, one of the helicopters landed in a field near the Regnier Center shortly after 3:30 p.m. to give students a look inside.
Emergency Medical Science Professor Steve Wnek explained the helicopter comes once each year to teach students about the helicopter and the procedures in place when working with it.
“The paramedics are in their final stage of training,” said Wnek. “There [are] going to be occasions where they’ll be calling helicopters into a scene for patient transport. They need to be familiar with what the helicopter’s capabilities are.”
Student and paramedic intern Mike Legrotte appreciates the experience the LifeFlight pilots provided for his class.
“It’s nice to get eyes on [the helicopter],” said Legrotte. “The school is really good at giving a hands on experience. It helps to see it firsthand rather than having to experience it in the field.”
Megan Heckey is both a student and an intern at Med-Act.
“I think it’s really cool that they were able to bring the helicopter and show us the basics and how the helicopter can be integrated with ground ambulance crews for optimal patient care,” said Heckey.