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LIFE STAR Lands at Quinnipiac as part of Wellness Week Activities
The touchdown was for educational purposes rather than a dire emergency.
LIFE STAR lands at Quinnipiac University as part of Wellness Week activities
Hamden – A LIFE STAR helicopter landed at Quinnipiac University Friday morning, but the touchdown was for educational purposes rather than a dire emergency.
LIFE STAR, a critical care helicopter service that responds to and provides air transport for a variety of patients who require care at a tertiary care facility, descended on Quinnipiac’s rugby field as part of a Wellness Week program where students learned about emergency medical response.
Students toured LIFE STAR and took part in CPR and Stop the Bleed education provided by Hartford HealthCare’s Emergency Medical Services and Quinnipiac’s Student EMS.
QU student Madison Murphy said the recent tragedy in Bristol, in which two police officers were shot and killed and a third was injured while responding to a 911 call, made Friday’s event all the more important.
“I think what happened in Bristol is a horrendous event, and my heart goes out to the families of the officers,” said Murphy, a captain with Quinnipiac’s Res-Q organization. “The reality is that terrible situations like that do exist in the world. It is imperative that bystanders, as well as trained professionals, are aware of skills that may save lives.”
In addition to LIFE STAR crew members, students and faculty from Quinnipiac’s School of Nursing also participated Friday, as did representatives from the university’s Department of Public Safety, the Hamden Fire Department and Hunter’s Ambulance.
Pina Violano, visiting assistant professor of nursing and director of community engagement, and her nursing students demonstrated skills such as controlling bleeding and the proper application of a tourniquet.
“Unfortunately, with the way the world is, it is important to be prepared for an emergency,” Violano said. “Look at the tragedy in Bristol. We hope you are never faced with an emergency, but when the time comes that you may need to respond, we want everybody to be able to act.”
Jordan Clark, a senior nursing major, said practice makes perfect when it comes to emergency preparedness.
“In a non-emergency situation, it is more relaxed, and you can take pauses,” she said. “It gives us room to make mistakes so we can fix those mistakes in a real emergency. It is a good idea for students to be able to be involved in Wellness Week activities because you never know when emergencies are going to happen.”
