So yesterday was a great day here on Camp...for me anyway. I got to spend the afternoon out of the office volunteering for a Mass Casualty Drill. We simulated a plane crash with in excess of 20 patients of varying degrees. I was one of the most critical patients - what with a sucking chest wound, ribs sticking out of my side and into my lung, and vital signs dropping pretty rapidly. I had a fake wound taped to my side...
Anyway - we all gathered at 11 Degrees North for a briefing with the Camp Medical Staff. We were told of the incident and assigned to be a certain patient. Then those of us who needed it were given our fake wounds to wear/attach to ourselves. Everything from my wounds, to protruding femur, to head injuries, an evisceration (meaning the guts hanging out of the abdominal region), and several walking wounded were on the list. Everyone was instructed to "act" like we really were in this disaster. So we screamed for help, we cried, we begged for someone to come assist us, etc. One guy walked around aimlessly screaming to make the screaming stop. He couldn't take it!
The drill was held at the Fire Department training grounds. Out there they have a bus/plane they use in exercises. They actually burn it and some of the containers in the area as well. Makes it more authentic to be able to practice on plane parts that might be on fire in a crash. We didn't do any of the fire stuff yesterday, just the mass casualty part.
Someone even was gross enough to add the Hyenas we've seen here lately into the plot! We had a number of dumbies that represented the deceased people. One was in really bad shape - limbs cut off and he was decapitated. The note describing his injuries concluded with the head being decapitated and had rolled into some bushes where Hyenas were eating it! GROSS!
So anyway, the drill went okay I think. I had my critiques of the care I received. And I have to tell you how great it made me feel to be able to tell the staff what I thought they should or should not have done! I was so excited to be making those decisions for my care as well as other people's care as if I had been doing it for ages. I see where some of the gaps are and hope they use this as an example to get more training in and practice drills. Really glad I got to particpate in this! I even got a ride in an ambulance up to the clinic on base where they continued with the drill and simulated the care they would have given me. Unfortunately, I am convinced I would not have realistically made it that long...I probably would have died at the scene based on my assessment of the care I did and didn't receive and how long it took to transport me. Sigh...
Here are the photos I took of the event! Enjoy!
Y'all have a great weekend! Love and miss you all!
Ciao!
Kathi
Getting us ready
Sue and Tom...fellow patient volunteers
Me and Sue
Practicing my acting! ha ha
Marc briefing us on the drill on location
Everyone scoping out their spot
Me and Marc
Tom and Sue
One of our deceased
Here's the really bad one...no limbs, no head, Hyenas!
Here's the Plane/Bus
The drill has started - Places everyone!
Trying to hide...
These guys found cardboard to lay on
I got the dirt and gravel...UGH!
There's Tom chillin'
And it begins...here is the Incident Command vehicle
Setting up Command
Emergency vehicles begin to arrive
My favorite Fire Truck
More Ambulances...looks like MASH
Everyone is staging
Where do we start?
Love the silver pants!
Here is my triage tag - I was Priority 1 - Red Tagged
Sue in recovery after her surgery for internal injuries
And I get to recover too...valium is good! :-)
The EMF Staff debrief with Tom
Drew claiming his property to put back in the Ambulance
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