Trainees put what they’ve learned to the test in exercise
The latest group of emergency medical technician students, who are presently undergoing training at the Capps Center in Indianola, put their newly acquired skills to the test on Saturday during a mock drill with the assistance of various emergency teams. The Indianola Fire Department, MedStat Emergency Medical Services and Air Evac Services participated in the joint venture.
Saturday's event was an exercise in the proper and practical way to extricate injured people from a vehicle. The students were acting as the first responders to the call-out. Their objective was to size up the scene, see what was going on and then request any additional resources, if necessary.
According to co-instructor Jason Zuehlke, the medical technician class professionally prepares students to meet the needs of patients in a medical pre-hospital response. "We work with the ambulance services and are able to treat medical injuries such as heat and cold related emergencies, diabetic seizures, heart attacks, medical and trauma, which involves any bodily injuries including what we are looking at today with the exercise lab," he said.
The original plan for Saturday was to have the students perform their assessment of the victims, call in for an ambulance with paramedic help, then discover additional wounds that required air evacuation and call for a helicopter. However, Saturday's weather conditions were not conducive for a helicopter flight.
He explained that in a real world scenario, trauma calls should be handled as quickly and as efficiently as possible. "A lot of times with trauma calls we want to look at that ‘golden hour.’ Zuehlke explained that to be the shortest span from the time of the incident to when they can get the patient to “definitive care.”
"We're coming to the end of the course, which is collaborating into the multi-agency and putting it all together (phase), so this is a great hands-on exercise to allow our students to be able to do this."
Charles Stillman, lead instructor for the course, said he and Zuehlke have been EMTs since 2010 and are graduates of the original course that was taught on the Moorhead campus of Mississippi Delta Community College. "We're trying to build this program up to the standards that we were instructed at, plus higher," Stillman said.
He said the incorporation of the multifaceted response with multiple agencies is for the betterment of the patient.
"This course is the first one (of its kind) that has been now taught under Workforce Education at the Capps Center,” added Zuehlke. The course was originally taught on the campus of MDCC under the Health Sciences department.
The successful completion of the course requires 140-plus-hours of classroom time with additional time added for clinical studies outside of the classroom. No prior medical training is required for admission to the course.
Anyone interested in taking the course should contact Anjavette Payton at the Capps Center at 662-445-1984. Applications for the next EMT class will be available January 4, 2021 at the Capps Center. You will need to score on at least a Silver level on the ACT work keys test (if you have not done so, you can register to take this test on their website www.thecapps center.com).
You will also need to be 18 years of age or older and be a high school graduate or have a GED in order to pick up an application for the class. Once an application is obtained you are required to add some other documentation and records to be turned in with the application to be accepted for the next class.
Stillman said, “I just want to wholeheartedly thank MedStat, thank Cobbs Salvage (they provided the wrecked vehicle) the school here, Indianola Fire Department and Rescue, and Air Evac for coming to help with this. Without these guys, it wouldn't have happened."
Stillman also extended his gratitude to the students who are participating in the class.
