SAR Medical Track
FRI 1900-2000 INTRO TO SAR MEDICAL
SAT 0900-1000 PATIENT ASSESSMENT
SAT 1000-1200 HYPOTHERMIA & HEAT INJURIES
SAT 1300-1500 ALTITUDE PHYSIOLOGY
SAT 1500-1700 SAR TRAUMA CARE / WHEN SAR GOES TACTICAL
SUN 0800-1000 LIGHTNING INJURIES
SUN 1000-1200 SAR TRAUMA CARE / WHEN SAR GOES TACTICAL
INTRODUCTION TO SAR MEDICINE:
We will show you a few simple statistics that may cause you to rethink your team’s trainings and your level of First Aid or Medical skills.
We as SAR responders train endlessly with our rescue skills. Haul systems, ELT searches, tracking and endless ICS classes to name a few. But are we lacking in our SAR medical skills? Sure we practice putting patients on back boards and keeping our First Aid and CPR certifications up to date….but are we identifying potential injuries correctly? Are we taking into account the environmental induced injuries or the potential injuries to ourselves during rescue operations?
Even for the non medical SAR responder, understanding the bodies physiology in the various SAR environments will help you to provide better patient care as well as help you understand what exposure and risks you as a responder will be challenged with.
PATIENT ASSESSMENT:
After a long day of hiking and climbing, you locate your subject. You realize that the subject is injured…. The subject now becomes the patient… Your job and duty is to determine the type of injuries, potential injuries and treat the patient appropriately following your First Aid standards or local EMS protocols.
Times have changed, not every patient gets placed on a backboard. Oxygen is not considered harmless nor is it always given to all patients. Learn how to be more thorough in your patient examination. Learn how to factor in environmental conditions and weigh treatment vs transport times.
ALTITUDE PHYSIOLOGY:
Learn why Altitude Sickness is dangerous and potentially life threatening not only to patients but also to the SAR responder.
Learn how to identify Altitude Sickness and understand what the physiological changes that take place in the body that brings on this dangerous illness.
Knowledge is power and that knowledge will save lives, maybe your own.
HYPOTHERMIA:
We all hear about lost subjects that perished because of “exposure”. What is this non-defined term of exposure? How do lost souls perish from this condition in the cold and winter environment?
How is body heat lost, how does one prevent heat loss and how do we treat someone with Hypothermia. Learn the simple steps to treat your patients and learn how to help safeguard yourself when working in the cold environment.
HEAT EMERGENCIES:
Understand how the body reacts in warm to hot environments. This subject area probably affects more SAR responders than any other medical concern.
Learn how recognize it, prepare for it and then treat it will be the topic. We will also follow this up with a detailed case study.
LIGHTNING INJURIES:
In SAR we find ourselves in all kinds of weather conditions, the most imposing of all is being in the outdoors during a lightning storm. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation and myth about lightning. Lets sort through the myths and get to the facts.
SAR TRAUMA CARE:
Course is designed for non-medically trained individuals, such as teachers, event staff, hunters, hikers, security personnel and private citizens. This course is adapted from modern tactical medicine as taught to our military and special operations law enforcement personnel. Concepts covered in this course include how to address immediate life-threatening injuries such as bleeding control, airway management, tourniquets, pressure dressings, occlusive dressings; how to properly prepare your medical gear, Good Samaritan and other legal aspects. We teach how to treat the most commonly encountered preventable causes of death. This is NOT a typical basic first aid class. It will address specific injuries seen with penetrating and other trauma commonly encountered in catastrophic events. Attendees should be prepared to engage in practical, hands-on exercises, which will leave you far better prepared to respond and react to critical situations (wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty). There is no escaping the fact that the world is becoming a more dangerous place. In addition to providing training to law enforcement and other first responder personnel, DPREP provides training for citizens who want to be better prepared for the unexpected, whether that be an accident in the home or a critical incident in which you, your family or loved ones find yourselves. This course trains the ordinary citizen that finds themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
BIO’s:
DR. DEBBIE BERVEL:
Dr. Debbie Bervel M.D. FACEP is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine .
Debbie did her residency at Loma Linda University Medical School and currently practices Emergency Medicine in the Inland Empire region. She has been a member of the Sheriff’s Air Medics and is currently a member of the West Valley Search and Rescue Team. She also is the Medical Director for the Sheriff’s Department ground SAR teams as well as the Medical Director for the SAR Advanced EMT program. Debbie holds a Reserve Deputy commission and is a NASAR SAR Tech 1 and a member of the Sheriff ‘s Basic Search and Rescue Academy staff since 1997. In addition, she serves as the Medical Director for the San Bernardino City Fire Dept. as well as the Medical Director for the Auto Club Speedway which hosts NASCAR and IndyCar events. Debbie is a recipient of the California Medal for Meritorious Service for her work with Search and Rescue.
MARIE PODBOY:
Marie Podboy RN, BSN, CFRN, AEMT
Marie Podboy is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco and holds a Masters degree in Health Care Administration. She has extensive experience in critical care and emergency care. Currently Marie is an Assistant Professor of Nursing for Azusa Pacific University. In addition Marie is a Certified Flight Nurse with more than 33 years of experience. She has held the positions of Chief Flight Nurse, Clinical Educator as well as a preceptor for flight crew trainees for Mercy Air / Air Methods. Marie has been a member of the Sheriff’s Air Medics and is currently a member of the West Valley Search and Rescue Team. She is also the Program Director for the Sheriff’s SAR AEMT program. She is a NASAR SAR Tech 1 and a member of the Sheriff’s Basic Academy Staff and has held a Reserve Deputy Commission. Marie has also taught EMT courses at the local community college and various SAR related classes over the years. Marie is a recipient of the California Medal for Meritorious Service for her work with Search and Rescue.
WES PODBOY:
Wes has been a 36 year Reserve Deputy for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department. He has spent over 28 years as a member of the Sheriff’s Air Medic team where he has flown as an Air Medic and Crew Chief. In addition he was member of the West Valley Search and Rescue Team. He also helped form the SAR Communications Team and provided engineering services for the SAR VHF Radio Repeater system that the county utilizes. He is one of the original instructors for the Sheriffs Basic Search and Rescue Academy and has served as one of the Lead Instructors. He has also held certifications as a NASAR SAR Tech 1 as well as a NASAR Coordinator for Fundamentals of Search and Rescue and SAR Tech I, II and III. Wes was one of the developers of the State Wilderness Medical Technician Trial Study. He also represented Search and Rescue on the State EMT II committee, which now is known as the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certification (AEMT) . He also taught EMT at the local college for 12 years. In addition to teaching Search and Rescue classes, Wes has co authored two textbooks on Search and Rescue - SARAware and SARResponder.
Wes works as a Technical Consultant for major communications companies and providers, specializing in public safety radio system. Wes also received the State of California Medal for Meritorious Service for his work with Search and Rescue.
Sandy Spraktes
Sandy attended Los Medanos College where she studied nursing, earning an Honor’s Scholar Medal for a 4.0 GPA. In 2011, she enlisted with the California Army National Guard as a Medical/Surgical Nurse and an Officer Candidate. In 2012, she graduated Chamberlain College of Nursing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, earning President’s Honors for a 3.9 GPA. Shortly after, she was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army Medical Regiment. She earned badges for Physical Fitness Excellence and was the Officer-In-Charge of her Medical Detachment Unit in Sacramento, CA.
Sandy has worked in the Operating Room as a Circulating RN and is currently working as an ICU Stepdown nurse for NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, CA which is a Level II Trauma Center, STEMI/Chest Pain and Stroke Center. Together, with her husband Emmett, they teach Stop the Bleed, Care Under Fire, Adult and Pediatric CPR, First Aid and AED to variety of disciplines including Search and Rescue Teams. She is a volunteer instructor for the California Highway Patrol Academy during EMR Week and is a contractor for DPREP, Disaster Preparation Training and the National Criminal Justice Training Center.
Emmett Spraktes
Staff Sergeant (SSG) Emmett Spraktes (RET) is the author of “Selfish Prayer,” which chronicles his experiences and the service of his fellow unit members in the killing fields of Afghanistan.
He served for 10 years in the US Navy Reserve with Special Boat Units (SBU) and Special Boat Teams (SBT). He held the rate of Gunners Mate Guns Second Class (GMG 2), completed the US Navy Elite Special Warfare Combatant-Craft (SWCC) course and was assigned to SBU 11, Mare Island, and SBT 22 Det. 122, Sacramento. During 2002 he deployed with SBT 22 to Forward Operating Bases in Central/South America where he participated in Foreign Internal Defense/Maritime Interdiction Operations/Protective Services Detail Missions.
He enlisted in the California Army National Guard in 2004, and in 2007 volunteered to serve as a ground medic with the 1-143 Field Artillery as they deployed to Balad, Iraq. SSG Spraktes returned home to his family in 2008, and 5 months later, he was activated and deployed to Jalalabad, Afghanistan as lead Flight Medic with Charlie Company, 1-168th GSAB. During his 10-month tour in Afghanistan he evacuated/treated 184 patients, flew 250 combat flight hours and participated in 12 individual hoists.
SSG Spraktes is the recipient of the Air Medal, Air Medal with “V” device for valor, Army Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor, Combat Medic Badge and Silver Star for gallantry in action.
He also received an Army Aviation Association of America Award for “Medic of the Year – 2009” and “Rescue of the Year – 2009. “
He is a graduate of Flight Medic course, Joint En route Care Course, and numerous other military courses. In 2014, SSG Spraktes Honorably retired after 20 years of military service.
In 2011, Officer Spraktes honorably service retired after 25 years of law enforcement, which included service in the California Department of Corrections, The California State Police, Vacaville Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP). His past assignments included 10 years as a SWAT operator, SWAT instructor, Firearms Instructor, Rappel Master, SWAT Medic, Governors Protection Detail (GPD)/Dignitary Protection, Flight Officer/ Paramedic, Drug Recognition Expert, Bicycle Patrol, Public Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (POPPS) Officer, Emergency Medical Services Instructor at the CHP Academy and numerous other assignments.
Spraktes is currently a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NREMT-P) and California State licensed paramedic and is an associate academy instructor for the California Highway Patrol Emergency Medical Services Unit.
Spraktes has been interviewed by numerous radio talk show hosts and has lectured as a featured presenter and keynote speaker for a variety of organizations and Law Enforcement Associations such as The Department Of Defense’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Conference, California's Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates (FBINAA), Riverside County Law Enforcement Administrator’s Association (RCLEAA) and FBL-LEEDA to name a just a few. He has also written for the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO).
Spraktes continues to teach Tactical Emergency Medicine (TEMS) to military and law enforcement organizations on tactical pre-hospital medicine and techniques, such as patient movement under fire. Spraktes is a sub-contracted instructor for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC). He also trains civilians and corporate security details on “care under fire” techniques through a California based company “Disaster Preparation“ (DPREP). He consults with Law Enforcement agencies and private industry on a variety of subjects including Service Member's post-deployment back into "The Real World", leadership under pressure and on his Military and Law Enforcement experiences. For more information, please feel free to visit his website at www.selfishprayer.com
