Mass casualty training helps first responders prepare for anything

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — With the attacks in Paris still fresh in everyone’s minds, safety around the world is a top concern. Leland Fire and Rescue used today as an opportunity to prepare for the unimaginable. They held a training session on how to handle situations of mass casualty.

“With the current events in the world and stuff, the opportunity to retrain and re-remind and get our folks to where these type of situations are muscle memory in their minds and stuff is very important,” said Leland Fire and Rescue Chief, John Grimes.

Although the training was not in response to the attack, first responders said it never hurts to be prepared for anything.

“Obviously the folks in Paris, their trauma teams and stuff, didn’t have time to train before the event happened. So getting that down to where the folks it’s in their memory, they know how to handle it so that when something of the side and magnitude that those events were then they can react and respond appropriately,” said Grimes.

The session covered things like helping keep track of people’s personal belongings, taking blood from patients and victims, and even aftercare for first responders who witness potentially traumatizing events.

“Sometimes we work so hard taking care of others, we may not take care of ourselves like we should. And so there’s processes to help that. And it’s called Critical Incident and Stress Management,” said Chip Munna, the SERAC Regional Training Coordinator with New Hanover Regional Medical Center. “We’ll come in as a team and we’ll talk to them about just different processes and help them to understand that what they’re feeling is normal, and it’s ok.”

The CISM teams help first responders cope with the stresses of the job and help them get back out to help us.