116th Medical Group Airmen join nationwide CERFP units for Nellis medical training event

  • Published
  • By Story by SSgt Kari Giles, 116th Medical Group, Georgia Air National Guard
  • 116 Air Control Wing

Airmen from the 116th Medical Group, 116th Air Control Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, joined more than 15 Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear High-Yield Explosive, Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, units for an intensive medical training event aimed at sharpening their skills at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Jan. 26-Feb. 2, 2018.

The event, coordinated by 157th CERFP, brought instructors from the civilian sector, active duty and the National Guard together. Col. Robert Desko, surgeon general of the Air National Guard, Col. David Blake, state chair for Air Force Region 13, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, and Col. Louis Perino, commander of the 116th Medical Group, were a few of the high-caliber instructors at this year’s event.

“I am very impressed,” Col. Blake said after one of his instructional panels. “This is an interesting collaborative effort, splitting tasks and sharing job responsibilities. I think we have something good here.”

During the event, personnel attended Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Trauma Nurses Core Course, Pre- Hospital Trauma Life Support, Emergency Medical Technician Refresher and Basic Life Support Refresher courses.

The high-demand courses offered at the event, book quickly and can be expensive for units to attend in the civilian sector making it difficult for Traditional Guardsmen to get the training they need.

“Our goal was for this to be a one-stop shop, ensuring the readiness of our CERFP’s by accomplishing all our Individual Training Readiness Matrix requirements as well as bring partner regions together to share ideas, training and resources,” said Capt. Lyndsey Fleming, 157th Medical Group, Detachment 1 medical plans officer.

Being ready at all times with highly trained medical professionals is crucial to the CERFP mission. When a natural or man-made disaster strikes our homeland, CERFP units are designed to deploy within hours to assist the Defense Support of Civil Authorities.

“There are numerous training requirements above and beyond our upgrade training that our personnel have to accomplish annually to be a part of the CERFP team,” said Tech. Sgt. Julie Parrott, a medic and training manager for the 116th Medical Group, Detachment 1. “As a unit training manager and medic who attended the course, it’s very efficient to complete all our training at once instead of splitting it up throughout the year. This ensures our Airmen are ready to go in the field and perform our mission when called upon.”

The 116th Medical Group, Detachment 1, is a part of the FEMA Region 4 Homeland Response Force.