Field Trauma Medical Training Held at SUU
Published: April 03, 2023 | Author: Clare-Estelle Perkins | Read Time: 2 minutes
Southern Utah University recently hosted a large gathering of military and law enforcement members for a training exercise on lifesaving field trauma medical procedures. This has become a yearly event for the SUU Biology Department and the 222nd Field Artillery Medic Section of the Utah Army National Guard, with this year being the largest yet.
“The 222nd Field Artillery Medic Section is full of keen, high-performing soldier medics with a desire to be the best. We are grateful for the support of SUU in our endeavors to be the best medics in the Army,” said Major Pat Thompson, 222nd medic doctor and member of the SWAT doctor team. “The 222nd FA trains to an extremely high standard, and we could not achieve that standard without the help of SUU and its employees and facilities. Mary Jo, her assistants and faculty in the cadaver lab, Talon Bird and the athletic trainers, and the biology program faculty have all been critical in maximizing the capabilities of our combat medics. The education and instruction they gave us were world-class, and the facilities are second-to-none. We are grateful for the support of SUU in our endeavors to be the best medics in the Army.”
Over 40 members of the 222nd and the Iron County Sheriff's Office SWAT division partnered up to learn hands-on techniques on cadavers and through real-life practice with other participants. The medics were able to refresh and then be tested on multiple advanced life-saving surgical interventions, including chest tube placement, finger thoracostomies, and surgical airway creation, among others.
Major Thompson helped coordinate this large event and provided some of the training to the group. Both commanders of the Guard and ICSO SWAT were in attendance and Guard medics were brought in to instruct the SWAT team members on these procedures. Guard members were using their information from their own past deployments to guide SWAT officers in learning these lifesaving techniques.
“Other than the huge turnout for this event, the other stunning thing about it was the large number of current and former SUU students and graduates that participated,” said Mary Jo Tufte, Associate Professor and Chair of Biology at SUU. “Current students, former students that are in the guard, former students that are ICSO SWAT members, and Major Thompson himself (an SUU graduate), all participated.”
This yearly training exercise has reached a peak point in the coordination and cooperation between these two agencies.
Tags: Cedar City Biology