Cameron Penney
Four members of the “First Responders” at Fort Frances High School recently had the chance to receive some hands-on learning outside their typical classroom environment.
Lucas Jourdain, Madison Krikke, Dylan Roth, and Judy Wu, along with team co-ordinator John Beaton, travelled to Baltimore, Md. to attend the EMS Today conference.
“We got a better understanding on how to treat shock victims,” noted Roth.
“And different ways to figure out what is wrong with patients.”
“We watched lived autopsies,” added Krikke.
The group were in Baltimore from Feb. 22-March 2, with the conference itself running from Feb. 24-28.
The group raised money locally in order to attend.
“We did a spaghetti dinner and bottle drive,” Krikke recalled.
“We made nuts and bolts to sell at the farmers’ market around Christmas time,” said Roth, who also cited contributions from Rainy River District Safe Communities and TD Bank.
At the conference, the “First Responders” were given special recognition for their work during opening ceremonies.
“[They stood] in front of approximately 2,000 persons,” Beaton enthused.
The group also had the chance to meet the cast of “Nightwatch,” a reality show based in New Orleans.
“It’s a reality TV show about paramedics, policemen, and firemen,” Krikke explained.
“A camera crew follows them around,” noted Beaton.
Another highlight of the trip was watching the “JEMS Games.”
“A group of paramedics [compete in] a scenario on stage, and see which group preforms best at stabilizing the scene,” said Wu.
“There are 26 teams from around the world,” Beaton remarked.
“The final three participate in a massive scenario,” he added. “They have 17 minutes to stabilize multiple victims.”
“This year’s final was a helicopter crash,” said Roth.
The “First Responders” program is one that isn’t common in Canadian high schools.
“To the best of my knowledge, the FFHS team is the only one with such a wide scope of practice,” Beaton said.
“Not just school responses but part of the P.A.R.T.Y. program and distracted driving education,” he added.
During the conference, the local students met a similar group—the Montgomery County First Aid Unit, Explorer Post 521, from the Washington, D.C. area.
“They don’t respond at school but do ride-a-longs with the ambulance only,” said Beaton.
Besides attending the conference, the group also had the chance to do some sightseeing.
“We went to the Walters Art Museum,” enthused Roth.
The group gleaned lots during the trip and now have plenty to share with fellow “First Responders” back home.
“We learned how ketamine was a controversial sedative used for patients with excited delirium,” said Wu.
“It was originally used as horse tranquilizer,” she noted.
“It’s important to practise the simple little skills,” Beaton stressed.
“Sometimes the basics work better than all the advanced techniques,” agreed Roth.
