VWHS Biomedical students get surprise

VW independent/submitted information

Van Wert High School students in Chuck Rollins’ Biomedical class were recently treated to an unexpected surprise.

Van Wert Fire & EMS personnel demonstrated how they respond to an emergency by providing a live simulation for the class. As part of the scenario for the day, Rollins was first on the scene to find “Mrs. Garcia”, the medical mannequin used in the simulation, unresponsive and called 9-1-1. He ushered the first responders onto the scene and they provided a first-hand look at how they respond to this type of scenario by attempting to provide Mrs. Garcia with an IV, starting CPR, and even using a defibrillator.

With little response from Mrs. Garcia, they stabilized her for transport and rushed her out the door to the ambulance.

After completing the simulation, the first responders walked the students through the scene, from the ABC’s of first aid (airway, breathing, and circulation) to the medicines administered on-scene to the various types of equipment used, including their new AutoPulse resuscitation system. While the Van Wert Fire & EMS average response time is only five minutes, it’s crucial that people know how to help while waiting for an ambulance to arrive; if a person is not breathing, they can begin to suffer brain damage in as little as four to six minutes.

Van Wert Fire Department personnel Captain Craig King, Ed Carter, and Pat Freeman provided the simulation.