New York Medical College’s Center for Disaster Medicine Hosts Training Session for Putnam Police Department
Training designed to teach first responders austere medicine to prepare for disaster situations
Jennifer Riekert, M.B.A.
Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives
New York Medical College
(914) 594-4552
jennifer_riekert@nymc.edu
Valhalla, New York – On January 14, members of the Putnam County Police Department participated in a training session to learn basic austere medicine techniques. The training was conducted by New York Medical College’s (NYMC) Center for Disaster Medicine, an organization that provides workshops, training and education to better prepare law enforcement, EMS, fire departments, other first responders, educational institutions, business and public health professionals and communities for natural or man-made disasters, including mass casualty incidents and bioterrorism.
Austere medicine is the practice of medicine in resource-constrained environments. These skills are particularly helpful during disaster situations and are designed to help first responders triage a situation. Participants learned how to conduct patient assessments and perform clinical interventions and stabilization in sensory-deprived and overload environments. These exercises enhance first-responders’ knowledge and ability to apply evidence-based combat and tactical emergency medical care in difficult operational situations.
“Police officers are often the first to arrive at a crisis, reaching patients before EMTs or other medical professionals and often at locations and situations where only specialty trained law enforcement would enter,” said David S. Markenson, M.D., M.B.A., director and medical director of the Center for Disaster Medicine. “By learning basic medical skills, such as “Stop the Bleed” techniques, designed to be administered in a stressful environment, the Putnam Police Department is better equipped to save lives and protect the community.”
About New York Medical College
Founded in 1860, New York Medical College (NYMC) is one of the oldest and largest health sciences colleges in the country with nearly 1,500 students and 330 residents and clinical fellows, more than 2,600 faculty members and 23,500 living alumni. The College, which joined the Touro College and University System in 2011, is located in Westchester County, New York, and offers degrees from the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and Practice, the Touro College of Dental Medicine at NYMC and the Touro College School of Health Sciences’ nursing program at NYMC. NYMC provides a wide variety of clinical training opportunities for students, residents, and practitioners.