Firefighters, surf lifesavers and paramedic students came together on North Haven beach on Sunday for a multi-agency exercise to simulate a rescue.
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Gaven Muller leading station officer from Port Macquarie Fire and Rescue said the object was to practise their skills and in particular to get effective communication among the emergency services.
They simulated a jetski crashing into a rock wall, with one patient being thrown on to the rocks and two others in the water. The first people to respond were the North Haven Surf Lifesafers.
"We have timed the responses to arrive when they would if they were contacted by Triple Zero. They come, they communicate and treat the patients accordiningly," explained Officer Muller.
"We give the paramedic students from Charles Sturt University exposure to other emergency services, as well as on-the-job training to what they are going to realistically face when they finish their university course."
The most important thing for firefighters was to learn the art of communication, good handovers and building relationships with the other services. They get to know faces, and establish bonds, which makes everything easier in a real-life incident.
"If you train well, you perform well," he added.
Phillip Ebbs, senior lecturer in Paramedicine at Charles Sturt University said it was really important for students to prepare themselves to work effectively not only with patients, but as part of a larger team with other emergency staff.
"Every agency brings different skills and capabilities to the incident. Surf lifesavers are, of course, best to deal with people in the water. We have a patient on the rocks, and this is a really dangerous, unstable environment. It's our Fire and Rescue colleagues who are so good at making them safe, and will sometimes extricate them, so it's safer for the paramedics can do their work," he said.
"It's okay to make mistakes. You get to practise your skills, challenge yourself, and learn from the experience, and the mistakes you've made. Most of all, if we can get agencies working really well in these simulations, then when, unfortunately, a big emergency happens, the relationships are already in place, and people can work efficiently and effectively."