Managing stress ‘under fire’
Canadian Forces reservists receive valuable training during simulated battle
Canadian Forces reservists put their first aid and care skills to the ultimate training test this weekend in Charlottetown. Gunshot rang out and smoked filled a darkened Queen Charlotte Armoury on Sunday as about 50 members of 33rd Field Ambulance, based in Halifax, performed a “care under fire” simulation.
Although the annual exercise intends to be a stressful situation, Pte. Jessica Lake said it’s also one of the group’s favourite exercises of the year.
“It’s very stressful, but we have a lot of fun with it too,” said Lake, who is one of about seven members of the unit living on P.E.I.
Lake, who is also a student in Holland College’s primary care paramedicine program, said the weekend is also extremely valuable for education.
“It switches up every year so you’re always doing something different,” said Lake.
“It doesn’t matter what skill level you’re at, you’re always going to learn something new.”
The group received instruction from faculty members of the college’s paramedic program on Saturday.
There are close ties between the unit and college, with Major Trevor Jain acting as one of the school’s medical control physicians as well as a senior medic and brigade surgeon for the unit. Faculty member Brent Nicholson said it’s a mutually beneficial relationship that provides college instructors with eye-opening look at care under fire.
“Because that’s just not our world, if the scene is not safe we’re not involved and they are,” he said after going through the simulation last year.
“So it really opens our eyes too. It’s great for us to learn from them and have their experience.”
Lt.-Col. Keith Rudderham said the event was largely a culmination of all skills members learned throughout the year.
“To use those medical skills in a classroom or back of an ambulance is no problem. But to make it darker, have the threat of being fired upon and have people yelling at them, it makes a big difference and really puts stress on them,” he said.
The exercise involved patients dressed in wounds and left on the simulated battlefield inside the armoury. Medics were brought in and assisted by infantry to get to the front of the battlefield and had to move tactically as they tried to bring casualties back to a safe area.
Once safe, medics stabilized the patients and simulated a helicopter ride to the next level of care outside the armoury in a Special Equipment Vehicle (SEV).
The SEV is a portable sea container sized trauma facility, where medics worked under the supervision of Dr. Aaron Sibley. Sibley, who is an emergency room physician at the QEH and a reservist, said he felt members did well on the weekend and quoted one of his own mentors as saying “practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it makes permanent.”
“These skills they need to learn, we need to integrate them into their muscle memory,” said Sibley. “So in real life, when under stress with critically ill patients and chaos all around, they can understand and know what they need to do.”
2nd Lt. Rebecca Doiron said she felt the weekend showcased the unit’s ability to work together.
Doiron, who is also an operating nurse at the QEH, said the simulation also showed the difficulties members can face. “(The weekend) gives you such an appreciation about how difficult their work is but also how brave and intelligent they are,” said Doiron.
“I’m ready to give back… if (Canadian Forces) needed a skill set like my own I’d be happy to participate.”