We are joined this week by former FDNY firefighter/paramedic Vincent Johnson. Vinnie comes to us from Disaster Medical Solutions and a former FEMA USAR team in New York. He and Dr. Joe Holley share information about USAR medical specialist operations training for USAR docs and paramedics.

Dr. Joe Holley was also on the call and our episode was hosted by Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

Podcast Discussion Summary

Medical Training for Disaster Response

Vinnie Johnson discussed the required class for medical team managers, physicians, and paramedics to be deployed as medical specialists with a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team. The training provides a realistic disaster environment and emphasizes the medical care during technical rescue training.

He also mentioned the ability to tailor training to the needs of state and local teams. Sam and Joe discussed the importance of disaster preparedness and the need for tactical equipment for rescue work. Vinnie and Joe also mentioned their ability to provide training on tactical medicine and disaster preparedness.

Experienced Educators in Disaster Response Training

In the meeting, Jamie and Vinnie discussed the importance of experienced educators in disaster response training. Vinnie explained that they recruit individuals with a history of responding to smaller-scale disasters, which provides a solid foundation for learning.

The team also incorporates lessons learned from past incidents into their training scenarios. Vinnie mentioned that they offer technical assistance to states facing disasters, such as tornadoes, by coordinating with their network of instructors and former students. The team also provides subject matter expertise to news outlets and reviews response agency reports to make recommendations for improvement.

Value of Constant Learning

Vinnie, Sam, and Joe discussed the value of learning from students and other instructors, emphasizing the importance of constant learning and the passion for teaching and mentoring. They shared personal experiences of receiving heartfelt compliments and seeing the positive outcomes of their teachings.

Jamie agreed with their sentiments and highlighted the importance of institutional knowledge in the response community. Joe mentioned upcoming procedural education courses in Florida and encouraged interested parties to reach out to Paragon Medical Education Group for customized training programs.

Episode Wrap Up and What’s Next

Jamie, Sam, and Vinnie discussed coming on an upcoming episode of the Disaster Podcast, which will feature Vinnie. They agreed to share the link to disastermedicalsolutions.com and encouraged people to reach out with questions.

Sam and Jamie shared their social media handles and encouraged listeners to subscribe to the podcast. They also discussed the importance of continuous learning, as emphasized by Vinnie. The team expressed their appreciation for Vinnie’s participation and looked forward to future collaborations.

Catch the full episode using the player above or on your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Disaster Podcast for weekly insights from leaders in disaster response and research!