Charleston reservists help test new method to transport infectious patients Published Jan. 26, 2015 By Michael Dukes 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Reservists with the 315th Airlift Wing here were part of a team to test a new system for transporting patients suffering from Ebola, Acute Respiratory Syndrome and other contagious conditions aboard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. 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. The training and testing of the TIS was unlike anything Pamela Evanosky, 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron aeromedical technician, had experienced before. "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 during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis several years ago. "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" 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