Training simulation success

Kidderminster member prepares a casualty

St John Ambulance teamed up with West Midlands Fire Service to deliver a large scale training simulation for volunteers during their annual Operations Conference.

The simulation, named 'Exercise Stable', was held at West Midlands Fire Service Training and Development Centre, Smethwick, and included 70 members responding without prior warning to an emergency call out.The aim of the drill was to test the volunteers’ response when working with another agency, in this instance the Fire Service.

The fictional incident revolved around an event at which St John Ambulance was already providing first aid cover, when a single-decker bus carrying visitors to the event collided with two cars.

Working with the fire service allows us to expand our training opportunities and this will ultimately improve the care given to the patients that our volunteer members treat.

Paul Bytheway
Commissioner Operations West Midlands

The team ensured the demo was as realistic as possible and resources included:

  • Eight ambulances;
  • A staff car;
  • A major duty support unit; 
  • Treatment centre support unit;
  • 30 casualties
  • Fire service Duty Officers and Command Support Vehicle

Four casualties were trapped inside cars and needed to be kept stable until they could be reached.  While the St John volunteers gave the casualties oxygen and held their necks straight with neck braces, the fire officers cut away the roofs of the cars. The two teams then worked together to remove the casualties from the cars using spine boards and then move them on stretchers to the field hospital and ambulances. 

Casualties’ injuries ranged from:

  • bruising
  • disorientation
  • clinical shock
  • broken pelvis
  • members of the public briefed to distract first aiders

Challenge

St John Ambulance Emergency Planning Officer West Midlands, Glen Curry, said:  'Trying to make any exercise of this nature as realistic as possible is always a challenge, but it worked exceptionally well and has been a very worthwhile opportunity for our volunteers and our fire service colleagues.

'We have learnt a huge amount from it, and will definitely run more incident training events of this kind in the future.'

Paul Bytheway, Commissioner Operations, St John Ambulance West Midlands said: 'Working with the fire service allows us to expand our training opportunities and this will ultimately improve the care given to the patients that our volunteer members treat.'