More than 25 second-year students in Conestoga’s Paramedic program participated in a training day hosted by the Minto Fire Department on Saturday, September 19. The event presented students with a series of mock disasters that simulated real-world emergencies.
Second-year Paramedic students worked alongside the Minto Fire Department in this exercise that simulated a multi-vehicle accident on September 19, 2015.
To test their skills, students were required to respond to three different emergency scenarios. The first simulated a tornado touchdown with multiple casualties. Students were presented with a chaotic scene and required to make critical decisions while coordinating efforts with firefighters. The second scenario simulated a car rollover involving multiple patients and the third simulation involved a two-car accident with trapped passengers. The last two scenarios were met with inclement weather, but rain only added to the real-life challenges presented to the students.
“The experiential learning from this exercise is unmatched within the province,” said Neil Freckleton, coordinator of the Paramedic program at Conestoga. “Our students and allied agencies incorporated all the actual equipment that would be used to respond to similar events including vehicles, radios, stretchers, trauma equipment and the Jaws of Life.”
One of the second-year students that participated was grateful for the training session and the opportunity to work alongside a fire department to manage a scene. She noted that working on the simulations allowed her to determine her strengths and weaknesses.
Guelph-Wellington EMS, current and retired faculty and alumni were also on hand to support the event. First-year Paramedic students and family members participated, many acting as patients in the simulations. Freckleton says the success of the event and the strength of the Paramedic program overall is evident by these strong relationships with community partners and the commitment and enthusiasm from all who attended.
Conestoga’s two-year Paramedic diploma program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to practice emergency pre-hospital medical/trauma care and to function as an integral member of the health-care team in assisting victims of injury or illness. Graduates of the program demonstrate the ability to safely and competently care for individuals of all ages, in emergency and non-emergency situations and to administer emergency treatment and care measures.
For more information, visit the program website.