HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer said that 10 years ago outfitting firefighters with a bulletproof vest would have been unthinkable. But times have changed and six Hutchinson firefighters have started on a new program where they will be part of the Emergency Response Team (ERT).
It’s called Tactical EMS. What it means for these six firefighters is that they will be going into active situations along with the ERT to provide any medical care that could be needed.
“There’s definitely a need across America for this type of service in teaming with police departments to provide that medical aid for them,” Beer said. “It’s just a perfect marriage with HPD and HFD working together again for a common goal and that’s really the safety of the ERT team.”
Beer says a similar program was in place when he left Wisconsin. He immediately approached Police Chief Jeff Hooper about putting the program in place in Hutchinson.
The new program certainly is different from what firefighters were originally trained to do. “They’ll learn to operate in what we call a hot zone. A place that is not safe or secure,” Brice Burlie, head of the ERT, said. “They’ll train to learn how to operate with emergency response team members to learn how to do things such as how to treat people in those hot zones.” Two T-EMS personnel will accompany the ERT in each situation. The crew will be stationed out of firehouse five at 11th and Hendricks and will have its own specially equipped vehicle.
One of the six HFD personnel that will be a part of this team is Ron Kaufman. Kaufman says he joined the unit to expand his service to the fire department. “I’ve always wanted to do something more for the fire department,” he said. “When this came around and they asked if anybody would be interested in it I went home and talked to my wife and we said, ‘yeah, let’s try it.’”
Kaufman and the others recently completed a SWAT tactical course in the Kansas City area where he says the training was extensive. “It was very good,” Kaufman said. “It was applying tourniquets, packing bullet wounds, some more advanced stuff with airways and things like that, and there was a lot of lifting.”
The new addition to the ERT is another major step in the fire department working with law enforcement to keep the community better protected. “We’re doing so much more training together. We just spent four days of active shooter training at the (Prairie Hills Middle) school,” Beer said. “The more we practice together the more we’re going to be prepared in the event of a real situation.”
The six firefighters will be outfitted with bulletproof vests, but will not be armed. They’ll carry special gear designed to administer medical care. One medical pack attached to them is to be used to treat themselves by a second person if needed. The new unit will train with the ERT on a regular basis.