Paramedics get training
Crowds gathered at the beachfront and were totally entertained with the exercise.
NETCARE 911 paramedics from KZN got together with 15 Squadron on Friday, to do a simulated mass casualty exercise in Durban.
Everyone met at the airforce base and had a debriefing on what the exercise would consist of and the areas that they would work in and eight selected patients were lectured on helicopter safety and how to place a strop around them so that they could be hoisted into the helicopter with the rescue paramedic.
“After the briefing, the teams were split into two groups and flew on board two Oryx helicopters to three sites. Starting at Addington Hospital on the beachfront in Durban the patients were hoisted down to the ground, first with strops two at a time, and then the patient was placed in a stokes basket and with the paramedic secured at the side of the stretcher, they were hoisted down to the ground and then back up into the helicopter. Crowds gathered at the beachfront and were totally entertained with the exercise,” said Chris Botha from Netcare 911.
The helicopters then flew to the Netcare Umhlanga Hospital where the exercise was repeated.
“This had all the people in the surrounding area wondering what was going on. Several bystanders came to have a look at a spectacular site as the rescue paramedics, pilots and the engineer carried out the simulated mass casualty exercise,” said Botha.
The paramedics were then flown to Shongweni to practice confined space rescue.
“It’s always good to witness such a professional team of paramedics and the crew from 15 Squadron going through their paces. It makes you realise that they are always ready to handle any emergency,” said Botha.
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