Paramedics undertake emergency training outdoors in town

Paramedics from across the region came to Gilgandra’s training unit last week to undertake mandatory training. Four paramedics participated in a mix of adult and paediatric emergency situations, such as removing a person collapsed in the football grandstand or suffering from a significant injury while in Hunter Park. NSW Ambulance clinical training officer Troy Jones said this type of mandatory training for paramedics is undertaken in six-month cycles.

“As part of this training, we are out in the field, instead of the classroom. We’ve been creating scenarios in different areas that each have different techniques to get patients out and conduct emergency treatments.”

After each scenario is conducted, the trainees undergo a group debrief and then they move on to the next challenge. The trainees need to conduct the situation ‘as if it was real’ which includes giving CPR, dosing of medications, using lifesaving equipment and the eventual extraction of patients to an ambulance.

They undertake a mix of ages in practise, as children and adults need specific treatments - most notably there are differences in medicine dosages. At these sessions, paramedics usually attend from around the wider Dubbo region, however occasionally they do attract trainees from Lightning Ridge and Broken Hill.

Mr Jones said the skatepark injury scenario is usually the most visible to local onlookers - attracting plenty of questions. He said it was important to assure the community that a real emergency had not taken place in public last week.