673d MDG prepares to combat catastrophe

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Airmen from the 673d Medical Group staged their first localized en route patient staging system exercise at the Elmendorf Fitness Center, April 21.

The ERPSS is designed to act as a transition period and staging facility for air evacuation patients, said 1st Lt. Matthew Steele, director of plans and programs for the 673d Medical Readiness Office.

"This could be used in a major contingency," Steele said. "Whether it's war or an earthquake, if a lot of people have been injured or killed, this could be set up. We would stand up the hospital to 170 beds at full-function and we would set up additional beds here as a staging facility for people who need to be moved. Patients would be ... kept here as they are staged and prepared to be sent to the Lower 48."

ERPSS training has already been an established part of 673d MDG training, but this particular training is unique in that it is the first time it's been locally staged, Steele said.

"I've been [on a temporary duty assignment] to do this exercise where we did it for a whole week," said Senior Airman Natasha Mullins from the Women's Health Center. "Today we did it in a day, and it went great."

A local staging allows Airmen who may be called on to work a local ERPSS to get a hands-on feel for where the patients would be going and how they will get patients onto an aircraft.

Mullins said the exercise taught her a lot about patient staging and how to effectively load them onto an aircraft, and thinks exercises like this would definitely help them operate with an increased effectiveness in the future.

If a catastrophe like the Great Alaska Earthquake were to happen again, exercises like this will ensure Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson can move into action and mitigate the damage.