Small Town Volunteer Training Ideas

[emtangie850]

I live in a small town and we don't get numerous call volumes. Does anyone have any new/interesting training ideas for rural areas? We deal a lot with MVA's, (including animals), Tractor accidents, rope rescue calls & hunting accidents...

I'd appreciate any input or ideas!!!


-Angela

 

[BossyCow]

We try to get out into the real area for training as much as possible. Running scenarios in the woods, fields etc. Also popular are getting the cars from the local wrecking yard and tearing them apart with dummies inside. I post-it note signs and symptoms to the dummy so unless they look, they don't see injuries. We get too caught up in waiting for clues from the instructor, so I make them actually look.

 

[BBFDMedic28]

Fire or ems training?

 

[MedicDoug]

Scenarios, scenarios, scenarios. I generally hammer.... er... I mean, emphasize the 4 or 5 things that we really want to get right (Airway, CPR, spinal immobilization, patient assessment, etc.) and then throw in enough additional stuff to keep it interesting. My master skill evaluation scenario is dynamic enough to cover 6 of the 10 EMT skills that California requires for recert at one whack. Also remember to have fun, but also to pick just one thing to focus the training... It also doesn't hurt to throw in something truly weird every now and then. I recently did a balloon crash scenario with multiple patients...

 

[emtangie850]

We try to get out into the real area for training as much as possible. Running scenarios in the woods, fields etc. Also popular are getting the cars from the local wrecking yard and tearing them apart with dummies inside. I post-it note signs and symptoms to the dummy so unless they look, they don't see injuries. We get too caught up in waiting for clues from the instructor, so I make them actually look.

One problem we are trying to overcome in our department is incorporating EMS drills within our fire department. It is getting better though. We are starting to intertwine EMS/Fire drills to incorporate both sides.
This is a good idea. Will definatly use it! Thanks
-Angela

 

[emtangie850]

Fire or ems training?

Both... EMS & Fire are together in our department. Although this could be problematic it works well for us. We have 13 active EMT's; it just so happens that 12 of the 13 are also firefighters!
Usually if our ambulance gets dispatched our first responders do also; therefore we work pretty much together all the time!

-Angela

 

[emtangie850]

Scenarios, scenarios, scenarios. I generally hammer.... er... I mean, emphasize the 4 or 5 things that we really want to get right (Airway, CPR, spinal immobilization, patient assessment, etc.) and then throw in enough additional stuff to keep it interesting. My master skill evaluation scenario is dynamic enough to cover 6 of the 10 EMT skills that California requires for recert at one whack. Also remember to have fun, but also to pick just one thing to focus the training... It also doesn't hurt to throw in something truly weird every now and then. I recently did a balloon crash scenario with multiple patients...

I am glad that you emphasize the more important because I think that when we think of drills within our fire department we always tend to think of the things that we don't deal with as often... In which we can overlook the most important, most generally used skills. Thanks for the imput, I will definatly been looking through my protocalls/EMT-B practical skills booklet to push in our monthly drills..
-Angela