Lab employee Mike Johnson put his Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) training to good use earlier this month when he assisted a fellow employee who was choking on a vitamin.
“A co-worker, who had just taken several multivitamins, starting choking in front of me’” said Mike. “My co-worker tried to sip water but that didn’t help, so I asked if they were choking. I got a nod and the person pointed to their throat. I used the Heimlich maneuver, and after several thrusts, the vitamin was dislodged.”
Mike is one of the emergency volunteers at the Lab who has advanced medical training in case of an emergency. But what Mike accomplished was something which many are capable of.
“Anyone of us on the MERT team would have done the same thing,” says Mike. “Berkeley Lab’s Emergency Management group is responsible for a program that allowed 15 employees to volunteer and receive training and certification as nationally registered EMTs. Tonya Petty and the rest of the Emergency Management team deserve great credit for starting the EMT program here. Berkeley is the first national lab to have one.”
If it has been some time since you have taken a first aid course, the Lab offers:
First Aid Safety (EHS-0116) and CPR/AED/Stop the Bleed (EHS-0123). You can sign up for either course at Berkeley Lab training. You can also learn more about MERT and the other emergency response teams and disaster resources at the Lab.
You can find additional life-saving tips here:
