DGMC responds to emergencies

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  David Grant USAF Medical Center is the largest hospital in the Air Force, and is home to many skilled medical professionals who are specially trained to maintain a safe and healthy Air Force family. With departments ranging from radiology to cardiology, and specialists ranging from pediatricians to neurosurgeons, DGMC is equipped to handle nearly any medical situation.

The 60th Medical Operations Squadron emergency department is an important part of the mission at DGMC, ensuring the best patient care possible.
Medical technicians in the emergency department must learn a little bit of everything, since they never know what their day will encompass.

"Our job is to do whatever the doctor says the patient needs done," said Staff Sgt. Trevor Stevens, 60th MDOS independent duty medical technician and paramedic. "It can range from an IV to a splint, sutures or medications."

In addition to working with doctors and patients in the emergency room, emergency department medical technicians must be prepared to perform triage at any moment.

"When someone calls 911 and the emergency medical system sounds, we respond with the fire department and law enforcement," said Senior Airman Christopher Dixon, 60th MDOS medical technician, scheduled to sew on staff sergeant in May. "When we arrive at the scene we assess the patient, perform necessary life-saving interventions and get the patient in transport to the hospital."

"Our main goal is to get the patients to the hospital and into the doctor's care," Stevens said.

Dixon and Stevens agree that the most rewarding part of the job is helping people who need it.

"When someone is in significant distress and you can come to their aid and help them it feels good," Stevens said.

"It feels good to take care of patients who can't take care of themselves," Dixon said. "You can see in their faces that they are sincere when they say thank you."

Speed is an important aspect of emergency response, and as such, the emergency department at DGMC practices to maintain good response times.

"From the time of a call, we have two minutes to get into the ambulance, which includes mapping out the route," Stevens said. "From the ambulance to the scene can take between three to eight minutes depending on the location of the incident."

While the emergency department arrives promptly, Dixon said the fire department is often the first on the scene. "Because of their different locations on base," he said.

"They are able to start emergency care and we are able to pick it up from them when we arrive," he said.

Emergency responders must work well together as each unit has a role to play to ensure the safety and health of the Travis family.

"I really enjoy working with the fire department and law enforcement," he said. "I think the whole emergency response system works really well. We all train and play well together."