Liberty Airmen witness trauma scene through paramedic's eyes

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Liberty Wing Airmen participated in an Operation Street Smart briefing held at the Strike Eagle Complex and base theater here on May 31, 2011.

Operation Street Smart, coordinated by the 48th Fighter Wing Safety office, is an Air Force Safety Center, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Anheuser Busch sponsored event and aims to take audiences into the world of paramedics as a method of prevention and provides real-life experiences of first responders who see the trauma a human body endures from vehicle accidents first hand.

Stay Alive From Education, or S.A.F.E., presenters of Operation Street Smart, focused on making drivers aware of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not wearing seatbelts.

"The choices Airmen make every time they get behind the wheel can have life-long consequences, not only for yourself but for everyone else on the road," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Alexander, 48th FW chief of safety.

Mr. Ronny Garcia and Mr. Vince Easevoli, both firefighter paramedics and SAFE volunteers from Florida, were presenters for the briefing that marked the beginning of the Critical Days of Summer.

"When we present to younger people, they have an attitude that this can't happen to them, because they're bulletproof and invincible," said Mr. Easevoli, Executive Director, Florida SAFE Incorporated.

The pair of rescue workers took the audience through what happens at a trauma scene while demonstrating the medical equipment they use on the job every day. The audience saw graphic photos of alcohol and drug related motor vehicle mishaps.

"A lot of people have no idea what the human body goes through in a car crash, and that's why we show the photos," said Mr. Easevoli. "When we show people pictures like this, it starts to sink in ... it's like a reality. The photos are an 'R' rating, but the 'R' stands for reality."

The presenters also dispelled several misconceptions, such as the belief that air bags in vehicles protect against all crashes and render seat belts obsolete.

After discussing and dismissing all the reasons given for not wearing a seat belt, Mr. Easevoli and Garcia ended the briefing by pulling a volunteer to the stage from the audience for a demonstration.

They placed Airman 1st Class Ronya Sturdivant, 48th Munitions Squadron armament systems maintainer, on a stretcher, strapped him down and began demonstrating and explaining many of the painful procedures paramedics would have to perform on him to save his life from a car crash.