Radio

Medical Triage at the Shamrock Shuffle

by Brian McDaniel · Published April 5, 2016 · Updated April 5, 2016

The Shamrock Shuffle kicked-off Chicago’s competitive running season here on April 3rd.

Stephen Sambu, the 8K world record holder from Kenya, finished with an unofficial time of 22:45. If it stands, it will be the fastest course time in more than a decade.

For the rest of the runners, the Shuffle is the largest 8K race in the world. It also is a testing ground ahead of the Chicago Marathon in October.

This is the third year that I volunteered with the amateur radio team. We provide communication for the medical teams along the course and in Grant Park.

I worked with a team of EMTs that cover the final mile of the course. More people have cardiac events here than at any other place during the Marathon. For an 8K race, most people are in good enough shape. We had no medial problems.

The Shuffle is a cold event. The temperatures are in the 30s at the start of the race, rising to mid-40s at the end. The wind off of Lake Michigan can make it uncomfortable, which is why I wear three layers.

My equipment pack is built around my 3-litre Hydration Pack, the same one I take on long hikes.

Flashlight, High Intensity LED with Spare Battery
Gloves, Medical
Hand Sanitizer
Lip-Balm
Multi-Tool
Knife, Lock-Blade
Nutrition Bar, Pro Bar Super Food Slam Meal (2)
Notepad, Waterproof
Pen, Rolling Ball, Blue (2)
Poncho
Power Bank 13,000 mAh Reserve Battery
Tablets, Ibuprofen 200 mg
Towelettes
Whistle

My communication system is designed for the VHF and UHF frequency band plan.

Yaesu VX-8DR Handheld Transceiver
Yaesu FNB-101LI 7.4V, 1,100 mAh Battery
Yaesu FBA-39 Alkaline Battery Case
- Spare Batteries, AA (8)
Yaesu MH-74 Waterproof Speaker/Microphone
Yaesu FGPS-3 GPS Antenna Unit
Tactical Gadgets Earpiece

This event may be the last one for this specific configuration. For hiking, where I don’t access the equipment often, it works fine. However, it doesn’t work as well for events like marathons. I plan to move to a waist pack system for the Marathon, something utilizing MOLLE components.