A local rescue training company completed an intensive air medical crew safety course, and after multiple helicopter crashes in the U.S. so far this year, it was their largest attendance to date. The Rescue Company 1, is an Orlando based EMS training company owned by paramedic, Firefighter and flight RN Carlos Tavarez, who is known locally as the first responding paramedic unit at the Pulse terrorist shooting. He was responsible for transporting most of the victims with his partner.
Last week, Tavarez and five additional veteran instructors from The Rescue Company 1 held their 6-day intensive Air Medical Crew Course with 21 students. The participants ranged in age and specialty from flight nurses, firefighters, paramedics, a respiratory therapist, and a police officer. These are all EMS professionals who came to The Rescue Company 1 in Orlando to take their skills to the next level, and most do it out of their own pocket.
The Air Medical Crew Course features training to save a critical patient’s life including practicing techniques on cadavers in different conditions. The class then shifts to crew safety and how to save the crew in an air emergency while still caring for a patient onboard. On two days, the class moved to the Rosen Aquatic Center where the students were tested on several techniques including being strapped into a helicopter simulator and flipped upside down underwater and getting themselves and crew to safety.
