Carson High HOSA students help with training exercise to prepare for Nevada Day Parade
Carson High School Career and Technical Education HOSA – Future Health Professionals – had several students participate in a full-scale drill with the Carson City Fire Department and the Carson City Sheriff’s Office before the Nevada Day Parade last week. The training exercise simulated a vehicle ramming after a driver experienced a medical event, which rendered them unconscious.
As part of the drill, Carson City first responders rendered aid and simulated treatment to the Carson High students and other members of the Carson City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) who role-played as parade attendees and victims who were subsequently struck by the vehicle of the unconscious driver.
The students portrayed “moulage injuries,” a training technique that involves applying realistic mock injuries to mannequins or human skin to simulate traumatic emergency situations. With the moulaged injuries, the students and participants detailed symptoms, creating a “real” event for the responders.
“Each student and exercise participant played out scenarios and interacted with responders to create a stressful environment,” said Jon Bakkedahl, deputy emergency manager for the Carson City Fire Department. “This type of true-to-life exercise tests our plan and helps us recognized any gaps we have so we can develop priorities to reduce those gaps.”
The no-notice, full-scale training not only helped some of Carson City’s finest prepare for anticipated health events that may occur during large-scale community events like the Nevada Day Parade, but it also provided insight to students who are considering similar career paths.