Dramatic drill

Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership class 24 got front row seat to a motor vehicle accident extrication exercise at the Lifeguard Ambulance main building on Avalon Boulevard.

The exercise was the third extrication drill LifeGuard ambulance services have put on for the leadership team.

“This is a real life dramatization of what could and would happen during an MVA,” said Lifeguard captain Gerald Ward.

The extrication procedure is executed when a person is stuck inside of an automobile after an accident and fire and EMS crews are unable to get the motorist out of the vehicle to be treated.

Two vehicles were used in the procedure.  One of the vehicles was stuck under the other to give the effect of a true motor vehicle accident.

LifeGuard placed actual people inside the vehicles and put make up on them to make it look like a true automobile accident. 

“This shows how our Fire Departments and EMS crew work together for the betterment of our community,” Ward said.

During the presentation, several local fire crews came out to partake in the drill, and a LifeFlight helicopter flew out to the Avalon location to show the class how long on average it takes for crews to respond.

“You can see that there are a lot of steps we have to take before we can attempt to get the person out of the vehicle,” Ward said.

That included cutting the windshield, attempting to identify the patient and putting up blocks to keep the car from shifting during the extraction process.

Sandra Park ARNP, Santa Rosa County Health Department Administrator, who is in Leadership Class 22 said this was nothing new to her. Park said she previously worked with an emergency medical service for 10 years.

LifeGuard ambulances were also dispatched along with the LifeFlight helicopter.