Last week personnel from the emergency services took part in a two-hour Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) workshop that took place at the Fire & Ambulance Department Emergency Response Center in Cay Hill.
The workshop included personnel from the fire department, Sint Maarten Emergency Medical Services (EMS), WIEMS, Red Cross, Family Physicians, Mental Health Foundation, Sint Maarten Medical Center, Sint Martin’s Home and the Inspectorate of Health.
Head of the Ambulance Department Cylred Richardson told the Government Information Service (GIS) that the MCI workshop covered such areas as an airplane crash, cruise ship fire, and a bus crash.
"The workshop also included organizing and commanding the emergency scene, sorting of patients based on severity of their injuries, setting up field treatment areas, and the transportation of multiple victims to the hospital.
"The personnel were also taught how to utilize a variety of resources such as equipment and personnel. The goal of the training was for the national emergency services to be better prepared to handle an incident," Richardson explained.
Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus was impressed with the content of the workshop. "It is essential that our EMS personnel receive training in various areas of emergency response and management.
"Also very important is re-training of staff and continuous upgrading. Our island nation caters to the international community. The type of economy we have developed as a nation caters to almost two million visitors a year. In the event of an incident involving a cruise ship or an aircraft, the first responders need to be able to handle this type of emergency.
"The same services not only serve our visitors, but are also first and foremost for the community. Public transportation is a clear example, should there be an accident involving a bus carrying 15 passengers, again our EMS must be able to deal with such an emergency. I am very proud of all of the staff as well as those other stakeholders who came out to the workshop. Our main goal is to provide quality and efficient services to the community and our visitors," Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus told the GIS on Sunday.
The workshop attendees were also acquainted with two new MCI response trailers that were recently purchased by the Sint Maarten EMS.
The trailers built by Disaster Response Solutions in Ohio, carries a variety of medical equipment including 25 backboards, a large quantity of trauma supplies such as splints, and burn sheets, airway equipment including ventilation devices, and equipment to assist command personnel in organizing the mass casualty scene.
In addition, one of the trailers carries a large oxygen tank and two delivery manifolds that allow oxygen to be administered to 10 patients simultaneously. This capability can be useful in the event of an industrial accident where toxic gases may be released or if there is a major fire and multiple persons are suffering from smoke inhalation.
Each trailer can treat more than 50 patients and can be attached to a small vehicle and transported along narrow road and alley ways to an incident.
"I am very pleased with the resources that we have received and the training that the staff has been going through over the years. It is hoped that the training and trailers will never be used, but in such an event, our national emergency response personnel are better prepared," Head of Sint Maarten EMS Cylred Richardson concluded.
The workshop was conducted by Daniel Mack from the United States who serves as Assistant Chief of Miami Township Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mack has conducted similar workshops throughout the United States and is the author of numerous articles on MCIs.