Emergency response, Whiteman Airman puts life-saving skills to the test

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dilia Ayala
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  In his latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne highlighted the importance of the Air Force Core Values: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do; and their importance to attention to detail.

"These Core Values should reflect the values we share from the moment we take our oath to support and defend the constitution," he said. "We must always have the moral and intellectual courage to do the right thing and must continue to follow our moral compass in the decisions we make and actions we take."

Everyday Airmen hold themselves to this standard; one Whiteman Airman unexpectedly had to demonstrate her dedication to this standard with her potentially life-saving actions April 16 at the Mission's End Club.

Like any other day, Tech. Sgt. Kristy Earls, Whiteman Airman Leadership School instructor, was out to lunch, this particular time at the base club with fellow instructors, when the unexpected happened. A child at a near table seemed to be having serious trouble swallowing food. His mother was unsuccessfully trying to dislodge the piece of trapped food. Then in only a matter of seconds, silence - the child was choking.

"I just got up and went over to her and asked her if she needed help, because she started to look frantic," said Sergeant Earls. "She said yes, so I just took him and used my knee for leverage and put him on my knee and started the baby Heimlich and giving him back thrusts. Then thankfully, it took probably about five or six (back thrusts), I saw him put his hands into his mouth and pull out what he was choking on which was a strawberry. I picked him back up and he was crying. Then I gave him to his mom and that was it."

For an every-day person responding in this manner is not typical; however, for Sergeant Earls, it comes almost as second nature. With strong life-saving skills due in part to her training and experience as an Air Force Public Health Technician and prior Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, she knew exactly what to do.

"All medics have different requirements," the Lewiston, Maine, native said. "I've been out of my careerfield for four years [as an ALS instructor,] but I've maintained my training. It's different for me because I was an EMT-Basic, a certified EMT at one point, so I had training that way. I also had basic life support training while I was working at the med group. Since I have been here at ALS we also have kept up our proficiency in basic life-saving and CPR, the heart-saver course and those types of things."

In addition to formal training the sergeant has received over the years, she has also taken it upon herself to do research and keep her skills current.

"I think a lot of it for me is I have a son and that is just one of those things I look at periodically, for instance the Heimlich maneuver and CPR, just because I'm so paranoid about those types of things happening to him," Sergeant Earls said. "When you deploy you get trained and you're cautious. You almost expect for a medical emergency to happen, but when you're here sitting down eating at a restaurant on base, you don't expect for those things to happen. It's not always when you expect it to happen."

As the unexpected can happen at any moment, Sergeant Earls encourages everyone to be prepared and suggests parents educate themselves, and use their resources on base and in the community. Contact the experts and find out what courses are available to them.

"Do your research on what to do in that situation and learn, then review it because repetition is the key. It is not going to do you any good if you learned it five years ago and you don't revisit it," she said. "It's important to review and know those changes [in life-saving skills]. I was scared, but the adrenaline and training kicks in and you do what you know that have to do."

Moved by Sergeant Earls' actions that day, Staff Sgt. Blake Enneking, fellow ALS instructor, is taking his own precautions to make sure he is prepared.

"I am now [doing personal research], as a result of that. I hadn't before," Sergeant Enneking said. "[Prior to the event,] I took CPR. When I asked whether or not we could learn that stuff, I didn't get much of a response as far as removing choking hazards with infants and toddlers. I absolutely think that [base agencies] should offer something like that.

"[I probably could not have done what she did,] I could have gone over and patted him on the back like his mom was, but I don't think I could have done any better than she was," he said. "I've never seen anything like that before. I've never seen anyone respond that way. I thought what she did was awesome.

"I have a son and when I was sitting there, I felt woefully ill-prepared to deal with that type of a situation," he said. "I would definitely [take that type of training] if it was offered."

Personal and formal preparation in a life-threatening situation, such as a choking child, is vital and can have a significant impact on the outcome of the situation. Those seeking information on CPR training and other courses such as this can contact community agencies such as their local Red Cross.

"I will be honest, I was very shaken afterwards, but I felt my biggest feeling was relief that he was okay," said Sergeant Earls. "I don't know, I don't look at it like, 'oh I saved his life.' All those thoughts afterward that the training helps to compensate for kicked in after [the situation happened], 'What if I had done it wrong, what if I had hurt him, what if it hadn't worked.' That's the good thing about the training; you don't get those thoughts. They don't get in the way when you have to act. You do what you have to do and that stuff comes after. It was a scary situation, but I was thankful that he was okay.

"The big thing is, don't be afraid to [help]," she continued. "Don't let those thoughts of 'I'm not really sure if I'm going to do it right,' or 'I'm afraid,' stop you. Ask the person if they need your help and if they agree, then just rely on the training that you have. Like I said before do your research, take classes and keep current. It's scary and a tough situation, but all you can do is be prepared for it."