Shreveport Life Air Rescue Helicopter at Remington College
Summer is a perfect time to remind everyone about some basic rules for safe swimming, boating, and other water sports. That’s exactly what Remington College – Shreveport Campus had in mind when they held a Water Safety Awareness event, open to the public on Friday, July 27, 2012.
Medical Assisting Instructors Emily Dean and Erin Phipps organized the event on Campus, which featured a Life Air Rescue helicopter landing in front of the Campus grounds!
The Life Air Rescue helicopter responds to emergency scene calls as well as inter-hospital transfers within a 150 mile radius covering North Louisiana, East Texas, and South Arkansas. The helicopter transports approximately 600 area patients per year and strives to uphold the highest standards in emergency and critical care transport.
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Boat at Shreveport Campus
Event-Filled Day at Shreveport College
The day was filled with many other water safety awareness events as well, including visits from:
- The Caddo Parish Fire Department, whose members promoted water safety and emergency rescue.
- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, whose representatives promoted boating safety and education.
- The Balentine Ambulance Service, which the Caddo Parish Commission has selected to be the provider of emergency medical services for the rural areas of Caddo Parish. Balentine also has units on constant standby to provide backup EMS services for both the Shreveport and Bossier City Fire Departments.
Balentine Ambulance Service at Shreveport Campus
Other Activities and Contributions
For some lighthearted fun, Ms. Phipps’ parents also arranged to have a dunk tank on hand, which gave contestants a chance to help others who could use a bit of cooling off via dunking. Kids in attendance also got to climb into the fire trucks, ambulances, and other vehicles on hand under adult supervision for an up-close look.
Flotation devices, or “floaties,” were donated by students, staff, faculty, and administration and provided to kids of all ages who attended the event, with the remaining floaties donated to the Southern Hills Swimming Pool by Health Sciences Department Chair Clark Riser and his staff. Our students also helped to spread the word by disseminating information about the event to the neighboring community.
How the Event Helped Our College Students and Community
This event enabled our students to become better informed and educated about water safety, allowed them to invite their families along to share in the day’s activities, and gave our Health Sciences and Criminal Justice students in particular an opportunity to see how the skills they are learning can potentially play a role in saving lives.
“Our Shreveport Campus was pleased to host this event and delighted with the level of participation and support from our students and staff, local agencies, and attendees. Knowing the basic rules of aquatics safety and what to do in case of an emergency are of the utmost importance. We were happy to do our part to help educate and inform,” said Shreveport Campus President Jerry Driskill.
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