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Staff Sgt. Tipps provides care in off-base incident

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  • By Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – As a first responder in the U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Finn Tipps, an independent duty medical technician assigned to the 36th Contingency Response Support Squadron, knew exactly what to do when he came across a civilian who crashed his moped, while he was driving across the island.

On Saturday, July 30, 2022, while driving on Marine Corps Drive across from Fish Eye Marine Park, Tipps noticed a moped lying on its side and a man lying on his back with people surrounding him. He then pulled his car over to evaluate the situation and provide help, if at all possible. Once he figured out the man had crashed, he immediately sprang into action: assessing the patients wounds, making sure to check for any major bleeding and provide additional care.

“I directed his friends to hold pressure with cloth in order to control the bleeding,” said Tipps.

After ensuring an ambulance was called, Tipps began speaking to the patient and asking him questions to ensure he was alert and oriented. As an Air Force medic, Tipps is a certified medical technician and trained in troop combat casualty care which allowed him to know what to do in this situation.

“I looked at his chest to see if there was any injuries that would affect his breathing and continued to talk to him and reassure him while keeping his head and neck still to prevent any further injuries,” said Tipps.

Tipps said he knew the man was injured after he first arrived, and would need help right away until the paramedics arrived. Once the ambulance arrived at the scene, he gave the paramedics a brief description of what happened and assisted them with loading the patient onto the stretcher.

“I honestly was just thankful that the man was able to breathe and speak,” said Tipps. “I’m also thankful to the Air Force, because without it I would not have known how to help him.”