ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida National Guard Soldiers supporting COVID-19 testing sites are rotating through the Army Life Saver course, ensuring more Soldiers can augment those already performing test functions.
Sgt. Sergio O'Neill, from the 2nd Battalion, 54th Security Forces Assistance Brigade, is an instructor teaching the Combat Life Saver course for Soldiers at the community-based testing site (CBTS) in Miami. Because so many of the state's Army medics remain busy at one of the many test sites across the state, the Florida National Guard is sending Soldiers through training to learn proper care practices when performing test swabs.
Part of this training includes the almost 40-hour Army Combat Life Saver Course (CLS), which teaches Soldiers a variety of lifesaving skills. Combined with the same thorough training on diseases and proper donning and doffing of personal protection equipment, they will be able to support those already testing residents. The training also enables them to help medics on mobile testing teams, such as those screening people in assisted living facilities.
Once trained, "they'll go to the Hard Rock Stadium (test site in Miami Gardens), where they basically left-seat, right-seat with a medic in one of the actual drive-through lanes," said O'Neill. "This way they'll be able to see how it's done every day in the lanes, and get actual experience conducting the test swabs themselves, while a medic that has already been working in the lanes can watch over their shoulder to ensure everything is performed to standard."
With more than 2,000 Florida National Guard Soldiers activated, the need to maintain medical preparedness extends beyond supporting just the testing across the state. Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Autry, readiness noncommissioned officer for the 256 Medical Company, said many of the units lack organic medical personnel due to the need for Army medics elsewhere.
"You might not always have a medic around, so it's important to always have someone close by who knows first aid," said Autry. "The intent of the CLS program is that every small element should always have a CLS in it."
Lt. Col. Jacob Gerzenshtein, the medical safety officer at the Orange County Convention Center CBTS, helped develop standard operating procedures for the mobile testing teams. Gerzenshtein said since each team will have an Army medic on hand, the CLS course will add to medical preparedness across all active operations in the FLNG.