3/17/2015

MASAR Conference May 16, Saturday Afternoon, 15:45-16:45 Workshop Choices

Suspension Trauma: Evaluation and Treatment - Paul Marcolini


Suspension injury is defined as a state of shock induced by passive hanging.  Suspension in a harness is an accepted and necessary part of ice and rock climbing, caving and mountaineering. In Maine, it is also important in many industrial settings for the construction and maintenance of wind towers, radio towers and smoke stacks.  The possibility for suspension injury is possible on any high structure where a harness is part of personal safety equipment.  We will discuss the pathophysiology, management and prevention of Suspension Injury including case studies.

Paul Marcolini is a Maine and National Park Service paramedic and has worked for ground, rotor and fixed-wing EMS programs. Paul has over 17 years of experience with Outward Bound, is a member of Franklin Search and Rescue, and is a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates International.  For the past eight seasons, he has worked as a volunteer climbing ranger for Denali National Park in Alaska. He has taught medical refresher programs for NPS Rangers at Denali, Mt Rainer, and Acadia National Parks.  Paul has also presented various topics at International Emergency Medical Conferences in Bolivia, and Vietnam, and presents on wilderness medical and rescue topics for medical schools and residency programs in the Atlantic Region.  He is the Quality Improvement Coordinator and ALS instructor for Tri-County EMS, and seasonal guide in New England and Bolivia.


Awareness and Appreciation of the High Risk of Water Operations, both Planned and Spontaneous with Gabe Gunning

This workshop will introduce novice level providers as well as experienced practitioners to the inherent risks involved in operations which may involve moving water during a training or operational rotation.  Participants will be introduced to a brief history of rescue in high-risk water operations through case presentations. This will begin a discussion about the current status of swiftwater rescue and flood response operations in Maine and New Hampshire.   

Gabe Gunning:  Possessing a lifelong passion for water in all forms is an apt description of Gabe Gunning. With 20 years of whitewater experience, Gabe started on canoes in Northern New England, progressing to navigating the whitewater of the Pacific Northwest in a kayak before eventually returning and again exploring the vast whitewater of northern Appalachia. His introduction to wilderness and rescue medicine started as a professional ski patroller at Sunday River Ski Area 15 years ago. Gabe is currently a paramedic for NorthStar EMS in the greater Franklin County where he teaches various topics in wilderness medicine and technical rescue. He has been an instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates for the past 10 years, and as such has travelled extensively teaching wilderness and rescue medicine courses. Gabe also works on a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) as part of the National Disaster Medical System through US Department of Health and Human Services.

LifeFlight Ground School  Instructor: LifeFlight Staff


LifeFlight of Maine is just one part of the statewide emergency healthcare network, or chain of survival, that includes everyone from first responders, dispatchers and paramedics to emergency room nurses and physicians, and specialists at regional medical centers. LifeFlight’s specially trained paramedics and critical care nurses bring intensive care skills and equipment directly to the patient at the scene.


When landing at unprotected landing zones on the sides of highways, fields, or clearings in the woods, safety is paramount.

This workshop will share the resources and training program LifeFlight has developed to assist EMS and public safety agencies in establishing scene landing zones. LifeFlight staff will also discuss the patient types and benefits of bringing critical care medicine to the patient.

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