Medics place third
Invercargill paramedics fought (fake) blood, sweat and tears to place third at the FernoSim Australasian competitions.
Emergency medical technician Sam Mokomoko and intensive care paramedic Rowan Hook, both pictured, of Invercargill, and intensive care paramedic Craig Jones, of Christchurch, represented New Zealand at the competition on the Gold Coast on Friday.
The competition was based on a mock scenario about a jet ski crash, which injured two people.
The trio had to assess and treat
the patients with a panicked bystander distracting them, as well as cameras, an audience and judges watching.
Mokomoko was the youngest and least experienced competitor, which she said was intimidating at first. ‘‘It was quite an overwhelming scene with the crowd watching, judges and feedback crew,’’ she said.
Hook said he was quietly confident in their work, but enjoyed watching other teams live after they had finished. It was a good opportunity to see a broad range of ways to care, he said.
‘‘We learnt a lot about what we would do next time . . . it was a huge amount of experience.
‘‘We were stoked. We were pretty happy to place.’’
Before the exercise, the teams attended workshops, which educated them on the changes in the industry, including looking after their own mental health.
Southern territory manager Robin Eustace said it had been about eight years since competitors from Invercargill attended the competition.
A team from New Zealand won in 2015, but this year Singapore Civil Defence came first and Ambulance Victoria placed second. ‘‘I’m incredibly proud [of the Invercargill competitors]. They threw a spark under everybody,’’ Eustace said. ‘‘Everyone is excited for them and how well they’ve done.’’
The competition would be something they would look back on and see as a good developmental opportunity, he said.
The trio are now aiming to compete at the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Clinical Competition in National Harbour, Maryland, in the United States in February.
The trip would cost about $15,000, Hook said.