Alaska smokejumper Keaton Shepard held an IV bag full of red liquid, while across the table, Chena Hotshot Max Ryan hunched over a raw beef roast sitting in a metal tray. Next to him, Warehouse Materials Handler Charlie Pohlman held the roast steady while Ryan frantically stuffed gauze into a hole in the roast. The three BLM Alaska Fire Service employees were not taking cooking lessons at the AFS dining facility on March 12, 2020, but participating in basic training to become Emergency Medical Technicians. The three took turns simulating wound care by stopping the flow of blood, in this case the red liquid running through an IV line and out a hole in the roast.
This three-week Basic EMT class is routinely offered to BLM AFS and State of Alaska wildland firefighters who may be among only a handful of people working on remote fires far from any established trauma medical services.