Today team members Chris Moody and Mark Dooley journeyed to Warrington Fire station to undertake a specialist two day Trauma and Extrication course, organised by Warrington Hospital, and on which team member Alistair Greenough was instructing. Here is Mark Dooleys own account of the course.

On Tuesday the 27th and Wednesday the 28th of April team members Chris Moody and Mark Dooley attended the Medical Aid Team Trauma and Extrication Training course at Warrington Fire Station. The course is run by Warrington Hospitals A&E staff Dr. Rachel Wallis and nurses Alistair Greenhough (B.M.R.T. member), Jo Savage, and Tim Bonney along with Simon Todd from Cheshire Fire Service.

The morning of day 1 was filled with power point presentations on scene size up (how to read the wreckage). This is important because this can tell you where probable injuries will occur. Along with equipment familiarization and trauma assessment the sessions were informative and very helpful. After an excellent lunch we were able to put what we had learned into practice by attending practical workshops on crash helmet removal, use of the Kendrick extraction device, spinal board and c-spine immobilisation, and fire service cutting techniques.

Day 2 was the day that everyone was looking forward to, because we got to play with the Fire service’s cutting gear. We were taught where the risks of explosion came from in car and what to avoid along with shock and fluid replacement. We were then allowed to put all that we had learned into practice. The Fire Service had very kindly wrecked a car for us and it was our job to attend to the injured driver (played by a rescue dummy) while the Fire Service cut him free.

The whole course showed how different agencies come together at scene and although they may have different working practices can work together very efficiently. Everyone on the course came away understanding more than when they started.
A very enjoyable 2 days and making us better prepared for whatever lies ahead