Manikins and on-the-fly scenarios help emergency responders meet increased demands for services

National EMS Academy (NEMSA), Louisiana, USA:

At the National EMS Academy (NEMSA), classes accommodate learners’ work schedules and accelerated paramedics attend training paid sessions. “We got together with the business and academic communities and identified a chronic need for paramedics and basic-EMT workers,” said Director Gifford Saravia. “Now, 175-200 students start each semester and within four months, those who complete basic-EMT training can work full time while continuing their paramedic training. In a typical college setting, you complete core courses, then specialize; we reversed that model.”

During Hurricane Katrina, Saravia assisted with evacuations and rescue operations. “It was eye-opening, a huge undertaking.” Not surprisingly, NEMSA favors on-the-fly scenarios. “As a medic, you have to be prepared for anything, and we rely heavily on simulation so students can make – and learn from – their mistakes. Most EMT training programs use simulation these days; those that don’t are missing a huge opportunity.”

“With students and instructors scattered all over Louisiana, our jobs are made a lot easier because of Laerdal technology,” Saravia said. “Our mass casualty incidents (MCI) and trauma simulations are where the rubber really meets the road.” Twice yearly, 40-50 paramedic students come to Lafayette where basic-EMT students and manikins are patients for plane crashes, school shootings or vehicle crashes into a crowd. “We bring in helicopters, fire and police departments, and the media for interagency activity. Students enjoy it – and learn – because it gives them a sense of scale and added realism.”


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References:

National EMS Academy (NEMSA), Louisiana, USA "Manikins and on-the-fly scenarios help emergency responders meet increased demands for services" Available Online: http://www.laerdal.com/us/UserStories/48061987/Manikins-and-on-the-fly-scenarios-help-emergency-responders-meet-increased-demands

 

Are you prepared...to respond?

The Importance of Mass Casualty Incident Preparedness

By definition, an MCI is one where there are more casualties than responders. It can be the results of a traffic accident, an act of nature or a man-made catastrophe. No matter how it is caused, it is an unplanned event that requires an immediate and accurate response.

A first responder can be anyone from a by-stander to a trained professional who is able to immediately plug into the MCI cycle and take action.

Knowing and understanding the MCI cycle and what the expectations are at each component helps keep continuity in the response actions, especially as more help arrives and takes up their roles in the incident.

Being prepared in the event of a MCI is your first step in mitigating the human suffering and event process. Rescue Training Institute offers a comprehensive MCI Awareness course that is designed to develop a first responder's skills in each of the components of the MCI so that they and those who follow can plug into the cycle and expedite the scene.

Remember, the Pine Lake Tornado was an unplanned event, the summer floods in southern Alberta were an unplanned event, the next MCI will be an unplanned event too. It's not about the event, its the response that counts.

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