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Charleston Reservists help test new way to transport infectious patients

  • Published
  • By Michael Dukes
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
315th Airlift Wing Reservists at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina were part of the team in December to first test a new system for transporting patients suffering from Ebola, Acute Respiratory Syndrome and other contagious conditions aboard a C-17 Globemaster III.

The rapidly developed Transportation Isolation System comes on the heels of last year's Ebola outbreak in Western Africa. The TIS is designed to provide aeromedical evacuation for patients with known or suspected exposure to a contagious and infectious disease and to protect aircraft, aircrew and support personnel. It provides worldwide patient transport capability in case of a biological event.

Aeromedical perspective
"My involvement and training on the TIS was that of a very unique and rewarding experience, not to mention an honor to have such an opportunity to do so," said Pamela Evanosky, 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron aeromedical technician.

Evanosky said the training and testing of the TIS was unlike anything she had experienced before and, "its capabilities and what it can provide for our troops and Department of Defense members is something I feel we have needed for a very, very long time."

Evanosky is no stranger to infectious patients while on aeromedical missions. She deployed to Japan as a Reservist a few years back during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis.  "If we had the capabilities of the TIS back then, I think the transport of any patient regardless of illness or disease would have been no problem at all and would have occurred in the safest environment possible."

"After receiving the new training and being involved with the testing of the TIS, I am fully confident and would step up to the plate anytime and anywhere to transport a highly contagious patient regardless if it is either an airborne illness or an Ebola patient," Evanosky said. "The reason for my self-confidence is that the TIS will deliver, not only the capability to transport multiple patients, it will also provide a negative pressure environment within the aircraft and the 'room' to provide safe medical care in flight regardless of the situation. I can exit and enter the TIS when needed because it's been designed to allow me to do so per the highest Centers for Disease Control standards and regulations."

Evanosky said, in the long run, she sees TIS capability as a significant advantage for the aeromedical evacuation mission and, "will certainly offset the specialized future challenges in assuring the proper care is administered to those who are in need. I am very proud and honored to be involved in the next steps our aeromedical evacuation mission is taking us and look forward to once again, bringing back safely our wounded warriors and Defense Department civilians home while still being able to give them the superior care in the air that they deserve."

Loadmaster perspective

Chief Master Sgt. Bryan DuBois, 317th Airlift Squadron loadmaster superintendent, who was the lead loadmaster during the TIS testing aboard the C-17 said there were many unique challenges during the test phase.  "The program was completed at an accelerated rate that created a unique situation. All of the team members worked diligently to make sure nothing was over looked. For the loadmasters the [TIS] unit was essentially just like any other cargo on a pallet that would be locked into the rails system.

"We worked through various scenarios to make sure we could load the unit in various configurations from all the cargo loading equipment available," DuBois said. "We were also instrumental in helping connect the unit to all of the aircraft systems for lighting and oxygen."

"Having access to so many folks on a team like this afforded us the opportunities to get educated from experts in their field that we would normally not have contact with," DuBois said. "This gave loadmasters  the background behind this system and how it works. From what I observed there is no doubt in my mind this system will protect the aircrews from the infected patients. Throughout the test flight everything for the loadmasters worked as advertised with the system."

DuBois said he jumped at the opportunity to be part of the initial TIS test team. "When I first heard of this system I was very eager to help out in any way I could. The magnitude of what this system means to those patients infected with diseases that need to get to a medical facility is huge."

"The time I gave is minimal when you think of the impact this system will have on others, DuBois added. "This system is on the leading edge of technology and adds another dimension to the capabilities of the C-17, and other Mobility Airlift Forces assets.

System specifics
The TIS, manufactured by Production Products, Inc. of St. Louis, is based on an existing military support pallets. Each unit has a disposable liner supported by a metal structure and an air filtration system.  The TIS maintains negative interior pressure to keep contaminants inside the chamber.  An alarm sounds if negative pressure is lost.

The TIS is a modular, buildable system capable of transporting up to three litter patients or four ambulatory patients in each module. This modular system allows for flexibility with various patient configurations; the standard configuration is for two seats and one litter. A C-17 can carry three full TIS units consisting of anteroom and two isolation modules.  Each module is about 9 by 7.5 feet, 8.5 feet tall and weighs less than 1,500 pounds. 

According to U.S. Transportation Command, the Department of Defense has ordered 25 systems with delivery expected in March 2015. Joint Base Charleston has received the first two of the systems for training and staging. Additional staging locations will be developed following delivery and based upon ongoing world events.

Since DoD efforts in support of the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa last year, 315th Airlift Wing aircrews have flown over a dozen missions delivering over 200 personnel and 737.4 short tons of cargo to the region. To date, the Air Force has not transported any patients suspected of having Ebola from the region.

More information about TIS can be found on U.S. Transportation Command's web site: http://www.transcom.mil/news/print_news.cfm?id=9202