EMERGENCY FIELD TRAUMA SPECIALIST (EFTS)

Prior to 2360 Star Fleet vessels would seek volunteers from each department to be trained in basic first aid so that in the event of a ship wide emergency that resulted in injuries those who had volunteered and been trained would leave their posts to render basic first aid to the injured....which was one of several problems with the old system. Another was that not every area of a ship had a cross trained volunteer and sometimes that meant a lengthy response time. It was estimated that during a cataclysmic event on board a Star Fleet vessel the mortality rate was 72%. The Emergency Field Trauma Specialist (EFTS) program was created in 2360 as an extension of Star Fleet Medical to provide better and more efficient medical care to those injured both on board a ship, base or planet. Admission into the EFTS program is by invitation only and those invitations are extended to Physician's Mates, Advanced Care Nurses and Physicians who are in the top 5% of their class (excelling in their knowledge and implementation of triage) and have shown that they are able to remain calm under extreme pressure and think and react quickly. The EFTS course begins after graduation from Star Fleet Medical Academy and is a 10 month course. Its curriculum includes additional (to standard Star Fleet Medical) training in alien (other than Humanoid) anatomy and physiology, additional (to standard Star Fleet Medical) training in alien (other than Humanoid) pharmacology and intensive training in emergency advanced life support equipment and techniques....which the student must become highly proficient in. They must also become equally proficient in the knowledge and use of historical techniques of advanced first aid and emergency life support to be used in the event that the EFTS is unable to contact their ship and their equipment is inoperable (ie: Medical Tricorder, Bio-scanner, etc.). All EMT (Emergency Medical Transport) pilots and all Search and Rescue Team Leaders must complete the EFTS course at the Academy. During a ship or base wide emergency there will be 2 or 3 EFTS (depending on the size of the ship) stationed strategically on each of the ship or base's main decks and they will respond to all medical emergencies, provide emergency advanced life support to the injured, stabilize their patients and secure transport of their patients respectively. Each EFTS is equipped with a Field Medical Kit that includes a Medical Tricorder, Bio-scanner, 4 hypo sprays...1 with Masiform D, 1 with Cordrazine, 1 with Tri-ox Compound and 1 with Melanix, a dermal regenerator, a spray applicator, a reader tube, Various bandages, an antique stethoscope, an antique blood pressure cuff, a pen light and a stop watch. In addition to the personnel, during a ship wide emergency one of the ship's transporters will be dedicated to the Medical Department and will transport injured patients from the site of injury to the destination the EFTS determines appropriate (Surgery, Emergency, Basic Care, ICU, etc.). Since implementation of this program the survival rate during a cataclysmic event has been raised to 91.6%....and the survival rate during Away Missions has gone from 62.7% (prior to 2360) to 97.9%.