Training to save a life

The Moorcroft EMS and Fire Departments held their semi-annual full participation training exercise on the southwest corner of Town Hall Saturday morning. Twenty first responders, including EMS and Fire volunteers, attended as well as four volunteer “victims” needing extrication from the staged two-vehicle accident.

The class is required for the EMS recruits, long time fireman Fred Devish reported. “We had some fairly new firemen, too, who got to tear apart a car,” he said.

The battered vehicles were bought from Dexter’s Automotive in Moorcroft who delivered the wrecks and the facilitators set up the “situation” Friday evening. Victims Andrea Pfeil, Marla Sproul and Hollie and Callie Hawk were placed Saturday morning immediately before the demonstration began with “wounds” for realism.

Devish noted the application did show weak areas, which were brought out at the review afterward.

“Usually,” said the former fire chief, “there aren’t four victims at one time, but it could happen. So they missed a few things.”

Suggestions were then made by the facilitators on the better method to be used. Devish smiled as he said he considered the training successful, “We saved everybody.”

The department had hoped to include Life Flight and Highway Patrol, but circumstances were not convivial to that plan.