"I'm READY TO SAVE LIVES" - emergency medical technicians - Brief Article

All Hands, Sept, 2001 by Aaron Ansarov

Weing an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) boils down to being ready for every emergency in every aspect of life," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Arturo Alvarado, stationed with Branch Medical Clinic at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Miramar, Calif. Alvarado is one of 23 Navy corpsmen who are trained as EMTs and who man three ambulances at MCAS.

The idea of emergency medicine has been around for hundreds of years and has resulted in the saving of millions of lives. The ability to react fast is what keeps these people on the front lines of the battle for life or death.

"We stand EMT watch every five nights, and I consider it an excellent training environment to keep our skills sharp," Alvarado said. With every call, it is a mystery what these Sailors will see in the next few minutes. "Sometimes there are slow nights when nothing happens, and sometimes it seems like the night will never end. We always hope that no one gets hurt on our watch, but it is good to know that when something does happen, we are here and ready for it."

The EMTs of MCAS Miramar get an average of 35 calls a month, "which may not seem like much," said Alvarado, "but if you are one of those calls, it's good to know that you have trained professionals who are ready and able to treat your needs. I'm also proud of the fact that no matter what time of the day, on duty or off, I won't be the one who stands around an injured person and wonders, 'What do I do?' I'll be able to jump in there and give help with total confidence."

Ansarov is a San Diego-based photojournalist assigned to All Hands.