Emergency Medical Services Training: IU Health and Fishers Fire Department Collaborate
In a recent three-day training exercise, IU Health Emergency Medicine doctors and nurses collaborated with Fishers Fire Department personnel to prepare firefighters for real-world medical emergencies. The medical staff assisted firefighters in training for various scenarios through simulations, fake patients, and fake blood. The goal was to ensure that firefighters could safely transport patients to the hospital in case of an emergency.
Natalie Zipper, manager of clinical operations for IU Health Saxony’s emergency department, emphasized the importance of partnership in benefiting patients. By working together seamlessly, both medical staff and firefighters can provide efficient and effective care during emergencies. The Fishers Fire Department meticulously planned various scenarios for the training exercise, including medical emergencies during fires, crew injuries, multiple gunshot emergencies, and more.
Throughout the scenarios, nurses and doctors from IU Health Saxony and North hospitals offered medical feedback to the firefighters and took on roles as patients and bystanders. This collaboration aims to ensure a smooth transition of care from the moment first responders arrive on the scene to the patient’s time at the hospital. Lieutenant Jeff Stephenson from the Fishers Fire Department highlighted the importance of establishing a strong teamwork relationship between first responders and hospital staff for better patient outcomes.
The collaboration between IU Health and Fishers Fire Department is essential in ensuring that patients receive timely and effective care during emergencies. By working together seamlessly, both teams can save lives by providing efficient care when needed most.
