Fort Irwin upgrades medical response capabilities

FORT IRWIN • Fort Irwin’s emergency medical response teams received a major face-lift this week as officials made strides to bring the base up to speed with the rest of the county.

With 10 new medical dispatchers, 9 paramedic firefighters and an 800 megahertz repeater placed at the top of Tiefort Mountain, base officials say that emergency response is more efficient than it has been in years.

“Twenty years ago, Fort Irwin was state-of-the-art,” said Army Col. Paul Marnon “Our hospital was as capable as any in the area.”

But as time went on, medical facilities in the county were upgraded while the post’s remained static, he said.

“We knew there was this greater (medical) capacity out there and we wanted to access it,” he said.

The decision to do the overhaul was completed after Sgt. Maj. Matthew Stevens died in a motorcycle accident last November. Marnon led an investigation into whether would have been any way to prevent his death, as well as took a look at the status of the base’s facilities.

While officials concluded that Steven’s injuries were so severe that his death was unpreventable, they decided it was time for an upgrade to their facilities.

Working with county officials and the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, it took six months and about $400,000 to put things into place.

Though the post currently has firefighters and military medics, officials have added paramedics — who are trained to treat more severe medical conditions and injuries.

Fort Irwin has also received 10 new medical dispatchers to take emergency calls on post. What makes these dispatchers different than those currently on post is that they are trained to give a caller advice on how to treat an injured person until help arrives.

As for facility improvements, the new repeater on Tiefort Mountain will allow communication between the base’s emergency responders and nearby trauma centers. Through radio frequency, the repeater allows paramedics immediate access to experts at trauma centers such as Loma Linda University Medical Center, who can assess a situation, advise the paramedics on course of action and sanction a person to be flown out to the trauma center if necessary.

In the past, seriously injured patients would have to come through the base’s local hospital emergency room and be examined by a doctor before being transported by helicopter to a local trauma center. Now, emergency responders can bypass that step by speaking to officials at the local hospital or hospitals in the area.

“(Responders) can make that determination before they ever get on the helicopter,” Marnon said. “It could save a life, it could save time and it will eliminate that step of taking them to the hospital first.”

The transmission tower may also benefit local law enforcement and first responders outside the base, as it will pickup and relay radio signals from other agencies.

Where city or county law enforcement or firefighters could lose reception around the base, the area will now be covered, Marnon said. The repeater carries reception for a 75-mile radius, he said.

In addition, if frequencies from other repeaters in surrounding area become too congested, the base’s repeater can help pick up the slack.

“This really puts us on par with the county,” said public affairs representative Gus Bahena. “Now we are partners with the county in our emergency services capability.”

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