F I R E D UP
MEDIC
ON THE
FIRE LINE BY DYLAN BRUCE
BY DYLAN BRUCE
12
wildfire
A Gatorade bottle, a belt, a parachute cord, and a combi tool. These may not sound like your usual medical supplies, but in a pinch they can create a traction splint. On the frontline of a wildfire, being able to improvise like this can be a lifesaver, and it’s Molly Barker Bessey’s job to teach these techniques to firefighters. As an Emergency Medical Technician Firefighter, or Fire Line EMT, she provides medical support and emergency services to personnel on the frontlines from her home base in Phoenix, Arizona. “Our role as wildland medical providers is extremely important on the frontline. Countless hours are spent training for the worst case scenarios because we need to be at our absolute best.” Working for emergency services provider Wilderness Medics, Molly, is a 32-year-old team leader who has worked on the frontlines of wildfires across the United States. She got started with Wilderness Medics in 2018 when a co-worker at a local ambulance company in Phoenix, Arizona, told her about it. |
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2020
