KCC Paramedic Training For Schofield Medics

By Sgt. Jessica DuVernay 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Medics assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Schofield Barracks partnered with Kapiolani Community College last month for the first phase of the brigade’s Paramedic Home Station Training Program.

The program allows medics to train, earn and maintain paramedic certification that is required to qualify as an Army flight medic.

“We are doing this to create a standards-based home station paramedic training program that supports the requirements set forth by Army EMS and our civilian counterparts,” said Master Sgt. Gene Belis, brigade senior medical non-commissioned officer.

Currently, medics need to recertify several licenses within three years to maintain their credentials.

According to CAB flight surgeon Maj. Alan Wu, the program is working to recertify all medics every two years in order to keep them ahead of the curve.

“We created a marriage between Kapiolani Community College and the 25th CAB that opened the door for two things: The first being it provided the courses for us to maintain and recertify paramedic and critical care licensure,” Belis said. “It also provides an opportunity for additional medics within the brigade, and possibly the division, to go through the course.”

The August training was comprised of four classes: Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support, Advanced Medical Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

Medics were trained for a total of 16 hours in each class.

“This training is important because we can get the soldiers familiar with standards,” explained Edward Caballero, an EMS Instructor at KCC. “There is complete continuity of patient care as everyone is trained on the same level.”

Once completed, the program will include 72 hours of mandated training through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, plus up-to-date classes on current trends and standards throughout the field.

This initial phase came with 48 hours of training and produced 44 credentials.

“This was very in-depth training. They taught more than just what is needed to pass a test,” said flight medic Sgt. Stephen Van Eps. “I was able to really learn and grasp concepts through KCC. I learned a lot more than I thought I would.”

Soldiers who attended the training also benefitted from the experience of their civilian counterparts.

“The instructors actually do the equivalent of our job in the civilian sector; they are doing the same work, just not wearing the uniform,” said flight medic Staff Sgt. Rene Dizon. “Civilians are going to see it more often because we are a wartime element, whereas they are a peacetime element and they are going to see their work more often.

“For them to give us that hands-on knowledge, that’s really beneficial.”