Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Mobile lab helps crews prepare for H1N1 catastrophe
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Crews practice on a computer-controlled patient. (Bay News 9) -- Right now swine flu activity is highest in the southeast, including Florida.
So far there are more than 9,000 reported cases with 593 deaths -- more than 70 of those in Florida.
And this fall there's great concern that H1N1 could spread rapidly.
Even a moderate outbreak could claim more than 200,000 lives. A severe outbreak could claim about 2 million victims with as many as one in three contracting the disease.
The virus has spread worldwide and Tuesday some Bay area emergency service workers prepared for a worst-case scenario: handling a pandemic or catastrophe.
One of the weapons emergency crews have at their disposal is a black bus dubbed the EMLRC Mobile Simulation Lab.
Sponsored by a state grant and a non-profit group, the lab on wheels teaches emergency medical technicians how to handle emergencies, including a full-blown pandemic.
"The state's program that's run by EMLRC is a great program to get our EMTs trained and up to date with all the signs and symptoms that are presenting in consideration to the of pandemic flus and weapons of mass destruction," said Terrance Ramitar, vice president of Transcare.
The back of the bus simulates the back of an ambulance. The setup provides a life-like patient scenario. That includes making mistakes on two computer-controlled patients.
"We allow them to make mistakes, so they don't make them on the general public," said trainer Eric Daughton. "Then we go back and ask them if they would do that differently or was that the desired effect you want to see."
The CDC says the more crews practice being ready for all emergencies, the better prepared they will be to handle the real thing if or when it strikes.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/...ps crews prepare for H1N1 catastrophe&cid=rss
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Crews practice on a computer-controlled patient. (Bay News 9) -- Right now swine flu activity is highest in the southeast, including Florida.
So far there are more than 9,000 reported cases with 593 deaths -- more than 70 of those in Florida.
And this fall there's great concern that H1N1 could spread rapidly.
Even a moderate outbreak could claim more than 200,000 lives. A severe outbreak could claim about 2 million victims with as many as one in three contracting the disease.
The virus has spread worldwide and Tuesday some Bay area emergency service workers prepared for a worst-case scenario: handling a pandemic or catastrophe.
One of the weapons emergency crews have at their disposal is a black bus dubbed the EMLRC Mobile Simulation Lab.
Sponsored by a state grant and a non-profit group, the lab on wheels teaches emergency medical technicians how to handle emergencies, including a full-blown pandemic.
"The state's program that's run by EMLRC is a great program to get our EMTs trained and up to date with all the signs and symptoms that are presenting in consideration to the of pandemic flus and weapons of mass destruction," said Terrance Ramitar, vice president of Transcare.
The back of the bus simulates the back of an ambulance. The setup provides a life-like patient scenario. That includes making mistakes on two computer-controlled patients.
"We allow them to make mistakes, so they don't make them on the general public," said trainer Eric Daughton. "Then we go back and ask them if they would do that differently or was that the desired effect you want to see."
The CDC says the more crews practice being ready for all emergencies, the better prepared they will be to handle the real thing if or when it strikes.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/...ps crews prepare for H1N1 catastrophe&cid=rss