The First Drill of 2008

This morning was our first drill this year. I would say it was quite a success - we all worked on the different extrications, practiced with KEDding and rapid trauma takedowns, and in the process ripped to shreds an SUV that the Heavy Rescue guys got from the junk yard. The only downside was feeling a little out-of-sorts when I awoke, but I took an Allegra for allergies and ran across the street.

I've been on plenty of these drills but they are valuable every time. They are educational, fun, work, everything you would want a drill to be. The first set up was a patient in the driver's side, ran into a (what did our Captain say? A water buffalo? I forget. Something outrageous like that). I got right in as I do on all of our Thursday night crew accidents and did head stabilization. I know that I can do that easily, without lifting strain and I know I'm good with patients. One of the Thursday night crew came up on the drivers side and one of the former Tuesday night crew came to the passenger side. We got him on the KED and out of the vehicle.

The second drill was for all crew that did not assist on the first call, so I sat that one out.

The third drill we only had one crew for a two-patient accident, and I did head stabilization on the driver then assisted with the back seat passenger next to me. She did an act of shrieking that was rather impressive, when she wasn't yelling about suing. She really did shriek.

The fourth drill we had an unconsciencious patient in the front passenger side of the SUV, slumped seatbeltless on the dash. The situation was that the drivers side has a vehicle pinned against it and all of the accessible doors are stuck. I (if you can believe it and with a hoist from two big men) climbed into the back of the truck, which was littered with coffee, water, oil, broken glass, other debris. I fell over the back into the passenger back seat, got to the patient, called back that he has an airway and is slightly responsive to sound. I got the extrication blanket, covered the patient and then got in under it behind him. CRASH! and the back window was broken. CRASH! and the front side window was gone.

I waited with the patient under the heavy extrication blanket as they made all kinds of banging noises using the jaws of life to get the door off. I wasn't in there that long, but the blankets are heavy and designed to protect the people under it from flying glass. I was quite overheated when we were done.

We did a couple more drills and the party moved on to have lunch at the squadhouse, but I went home so that Luis and I could head off to collect Ma and see Ray at the rehabilitation facility.