Re: Physical demands?

From: Ken Lawson-Williams <Macgyver@FlightMedicMail.com>

Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:10:04 -0800 (PST)

I might have missed something here, what exactly is the job requirements that you need physical fitness for (or is it a screening method)? We are a civilian, predominantly female RN, outfit that could use something SIMILAR to the 49th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron's fitness regime!!! But throw in a minimum grip strength requirement... Our CFN is only 5' and our Training Nurse/Medic has 25 years of flight and lousy knees but we all still manage despite not being PJ's or SAR-Techs (Canadian equivalent). But there IS very definitely a need for a minimum level of fitness in our system. However, any standards must be related to the job. See below the ***SNIPPINGS*** if interested in why I feel that fitness standards are essential in our service. Fly Safe. Ken L-W CCEMT-P/RN etc MEDFLIGHT (Yellowknife & Cambridge Bay, Northwest Territories) ***SNIP*** Kept us in the best shape of my life. Would never happen in the civilian sector. ***SNIP ***SNIP*** Folks, they are not trying to become Pararescue Technicians or SOF operators... Sounds to me that some of the institutions in this forum are trying to be parochial. I believe in being fit, but for number one you are not the military and you really should look at the fact that instituting such stringent programs could lead to legal actions against your organization. How physical fit do you really need to be to treat patients on board a helicopter or a fixed wing bird? And how physically fit do you have to be to perform a four man litter carry--- no one out there in the civilian and military world rarely performs a two man litter carry unless they are under fire. You folks really need to consider this before instituting such policies. ***SNIP*** Are you sure? We routinely fly solo medical provider to isolated communities with no nurses and a Community Health Representative (lay person, sub LPN training (less than a semester), who has keys to a box of drugs and will do a BLS assessment then hand out meds based on phone consult with MD). So we have to carry (by ourselves as the flight crew are busy putting on insulated engine tarps and refueling while they freeze as well...) our folded Ferno #9, Wiggys bag, Zoll M + 2 batteries, minimed pump, flight bag (Conterra ALS Extreme backpack - seriously stuffed), IV+Drug bag (Pacific 500D with full load to end of algorhythms + various other meds and 7 litres total of various IV's and other fluids) and a metal "E" oxygen cylinder (with Genesis and BVM) by ourselves from the King-Air to the local transport (pickup or whatever, rarely a skidoo/komatik (Eskimo cargo sled) any more) on the other side of the ramp fence up to 1/4 mile away at -40 with wind chill to "hell freezing over" (-41 with wind chill to -98 a couple of days ago). This is done in the dark while wearing approx 25 pounds of PPE (SnowGoose Mantra down Parka, balaclava, insulated windpants, arctic mitts (usually army models) + string, flight suit, fleece or kangaroo sweat-top (double hooded), heavy duty wool (army surplus usually) pants/British navy style 100% wool sweater/at least 85% wool socks/wool gloves, polypro longsleeve turtleneck/long underwear/socks, Acton muklucks (cive version of Canadian military mucklucks good well below -40 even when standing still on sea ice) and survival gear (nothing mandated but most carry (usually in parka pockets) at least a bush knife, two 6 hour candles, wind and waterproof matches and striker, signal mirror, signal flares/bear scare and launcher, 30' of 550 "para" cord, 2 space blankets, 10' by 5' of 0.5 mil poly tarp, ziplock of toilet paper, SOLAS whistle (marine) and some high energy munchies. Then ride in to the residence with most (never the drug bag) of the gear in the back (open) of the truck, do our thing, package the over 200# obese MI or whatever, carry the ferno#9 and patient/monitor/oxygen/IV's/pump wrapped in the Wiggy bag assisted by the usually female "elder" (45-60 year old Inuit or Dene CHR and pickup driver) and the "translator" (a relative or other escort who gets to fly to town with us then go shopping) back to the truck (down stairs etc, the usual EMS stuff but on ice/snow). We then ride in the back with the patient to the airport and will then have to carry to the airplane and load them (60+ inches off ground level) assisted by the First Officer (as the captain is winding up or monitoring the running starboard engine in these temperatures). Thank God for a cargo door - and now we have a Lifeport loading system on 2 of 3 of the 200's. Then try to avoid heat exhaustion in the recieving hospital as you walk beside the patient (now on an EMS cot) through hallways that last forever and are always overheated (70 or so) and give report standing there in Windpants and Muklucks in the trauma x-ray or CCU. Not to mention the time waiting for refueling / loading on the ramp etc in the warm south at maybe 15 degrees... --- message from "Manuel M. Torres, Jr." <m.torresjr@verizon.net> attached: _____________________________________________________________ Get yourname@FlightMedicMail.com: Sign up at http://www.FlightMedicMail.com _____________________________________________________________ Select your own custom email address for FREE! Get you@yourchoice.com w/No Ads, 6MB, POP & more! http://www.everyone.net/selectmail?campaign=tag

From: "Manuel M. Torres, Jr." <m.torresjr@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 23:29:52 -0500

We are flight nurses and medics not Special Forces Operators that need to maintain such a high level of fitness to survive in combat. Such conditioning is not needed to do our job out here in the civilian sector. It helps however to not to be a pogue...

I do remember that the price one paid to stay in such great shape took it's toll over the long term.

Manuel Torres BSN, RN

Ex 18D, 1979-1986

STAT MedEvac 4

Pittsburgh, PA