109th Airlift Wing Members Conduct medical evacuation drill for civilian patients Thursday

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139th Aeromedical Squadron Senior Airman Milyn Kane prepares simulated patients during a National Disaster Medical System evacuation exercise at Stewart Air National Guard Base in 2013.

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NY (07/29/2015)(readMedia)-- The medical specialists of the 109th Airlift Wing will train with their counterparts from the federal and state civilian agencies during a drill designed to test the wing's ability to evacuate patients from the Capitol Region to another location on, Thursday, July 30.

Reporters are invited to observe training taking place at 1 p.m. during which wing personnel will simulate receiving medical evacuees from local hospitals and care facilities, loading them onto the wing's C-130 transport aircraft, and moving them to another region of the United States.

WHO: Airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing's 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs , and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

WHAT: An annual exercise required as part of the federal National Disaster Medical System in which hospital patients and nursing home residents are evacuated from disaster areas to regions in which they can be cared for in government and civilian hospitals and health care facilities. The exercise will involve simulated patients being moved by the Glenmont Volunteer Fire Department from civilian facilities to Stratton Air National Guard Base. At Stratton the simulated patients will be loaded onboard the C-130s.

WHEN: Reporters should be at Stratton Air National Guard Base no later than 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 30.

WHERE: Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia New York.

Coverage Opportunities:

Media members will be able to speak to the leaders of the 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and obtain video and still imagery.

For more information contact Master Sgt. Willie Gizara at 344-2423 or (cell) 248-3799.

BACKGROUND

The 109 Airlift Wing is a designated National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Federal Coordination Center and Patient Reception Center. The NDMS combines Federal and non-Federal medical resources into a unified response to meet natural and man-made disaster needs, as well as support patient treatment requirements from military contingencies.

For more information on the National Disaster Medical System go here:

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/Pages/default.aspx