Responding to someone in a medical emergency can be a nerve racking experience. The unknown variables and required quick thinking can make even the most confident, qualified person question their skills. However, for two Soldiers from the 511th Military Police Platoon, 14th Transportation Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, their training made the difference.

Cpl. Ray Smith and Spc. Amanda Page, both military police officers, responded to the call of an individual undergoing a seizure at the auto skills center on Camp Darby, Italy. 

Capt. David Americo, the captain of the fire engine that responded, described his anxiety.

“I had serious concerns regarding patient treatment and the response time. Medical emergencies of this nature can be unforgiving when the timeframe exceeds 10 minutes. As a result of the response time of the first due fire engine, Cpl. Smith and Spc. Page were on the scene alone with a pre-seizure patient for a minimum of 12 minutes,” said Americo.

Although Americo was nervous, Smith and Page kept their cool by relying on their training and the basics.

“I wanted to arrive on the scene as quickly as possible and determine the action that needed to be taken,” Smith recalled. “You try to train for situations like this and feel compassionate toward the person involved.”

Page echoed Smith's feelings about the importance of deriving confidence from training. 

“My first thought was to get there quick and remain calm while running the steps of first aid through my head,” said Page. “I was nervous as the situation progressed, but once I was with the patient and helping her, my anxiety seemed to disappear.”

“Situations such as this truly bring all your skills as a first responder into play, and you must continue to train to be able to assist the public,” added Smith.

Due to the quick thinking and actions taken by both Smith and Page, they safely assisted the patient until the ambulance arrived to provide advanced treatment.

“They remained composed and professional throughout the entire operation by providing critical emergency care to a member of the Camp Darby community,” said Americo. “Cpl. Smith and Pfc. Page acted above their assigned roles as law enforcement officers in initiating treatment for a seizure patient for an extended period of time without support of advanced trained medical personnel. I would like to thank them professionally for a job well done and for the assistance they provided to both the fire department and a member of the Camp Darby family.”