LONGWOOD, Fla. – It’s a situation you do not want to be in, but it happens — Car crashes. At times, some calls require serious medical attention which means patients may end up at the trauma center.
On Tuesday several firefighters from multiple agencies in Seminole County participated in a big training multi-patient trauma scenario and entrapment exercise.
The whole thing played out at Courtesy Towing in Longwood.
“We’ve been setting up these types of exercises for the last 25 years,” said Mark Jones, owner of the business.
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The scenario involved several vehicles, including an electric one, which released smoke during the exercise.
“It’s one of the biggest concerns of firefighters today we see these vehicles everywhere now, they are charging in public places, apartment complexes, and inside people’s homes and when they catch fire, they are very difficult to put out,” Jones said.
Crews also used simulated dummies meant to be pediatric patients with trauma injuries.
Dr. Donald Plumley is the Pediatric Trauma Director at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
“Oftentimes it’s police officers and they will start some of the care while the paramedics are inbound. So, it’s a spectrum of care, a continue of care from the moment the accident happens, till they arrive at the hospital and how we can optimize that,” Plumley said.
Plumley said these types of training sessions are extremely important because the goal is to save lives and explained time is of the essence.
“I think it’s important for the public to know what first responders have to deal with and to know the resources we have in our community. We have a level one trauma center for both adults and children, Arnold Palmer and ORMC, and the ability to work with our colleagues in the field,” Plumley said.
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