Disaster Medical Specialists

In June 2014, six members of the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department attended five days of intensive search and rescue training at Disaster City in College Station, Texas. The Disaster Medical Specialist course is designed for paramedics, doctors, and nurses who will be required to perform advanced medical stabilization and treatment during large-scale disasters and search-and-rescue incidents.

The course included hands-on training in realistic structural collapses and confined spaces. Participants were able to practice evaluating trapped victims, establishing an emergency airway, and stabilizing and packaging victims for extrication, as well as participating in a nighttime full-scale exercise. The course was a combination of classroom instruction and practical skills training taught by specialized instructors who have experience responding to some of the nation’s largest disasters, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike.

Cowley County has personnel able to provide specialized medical care to victims trapped in structural collapses and other dangerous environments.

The Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department is a member of the Kansas Task Force 5 Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR), which comprises seven fire departments in south-central Kansas. With the addition of Arkansas City Fire-EMS, Task Force 5 became the first USAR team in the State to have Disaster Medical Specialists.