Summer training can be arduous – often outside in baking heat. But there’s plenty to train on that doesn’t involve dragging hose, climbing ladders or forcing entry. And yes, fire-based EMS skills fall into that category. These skills are more essential every day as increasing numbers of fire departments shift to fire-based EMS programs.
Here are 10 training exercises to get you started.
1. Responding to an overdose
During the pandemic, overdose rates rose significantly, marking a never-before-seen milestone: an estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year.
Responding to possible opioid overdose situations can be tricky. Train to identify if the patient really exhibiting signs of an overdose, if the patient actually overdosed on an opioid, and when and how to administer naloxone.
2. Conquer pediatric patient stress
When was the last time you inserted an advanced airway, or even provided ventilation to a pediatric patient, while they were supine on a table? Probably never.
So why do we train this way? Why not train at our patients’ level, instead of at the level of a classroom table?
Mimic real-world encounters with these scenarios for EMS training in pediatric patient management.
3. Traumatic wound care
Throw providers a curveball in wound and hemorrhage control training to challenge their critical thinking and appropriate skill deployment. After all, direct pressure, trauma dressings and bleeding control agents still have a place in hemorrhage control.
4. 12-lead mastery
Acquiring and interpreting a 12-lead ECG is a high-frequency, sometimes high-acuity, skill for EMS, even common at the BLS/EMT level. While practice doesn’t always mean perfect, practicing, testing and referencing often can help to master this valuable, care-directing and diagnostic-quality skill?
5. Evacuating patients
While the vast majority of calls involve a single patient, when a hurricane, major disaster or mass casualty incident occurs, EMS professionals are required to use scene and disaster management skills. The best way to ensure personnel are still proficient in these areas is by participating in training exercises.
6. Implementing CPAP
CPAP implementation comes down to training, recognizing criteria for use and overcoming a reliance on nebulizer-only therapy.
Train providers on recognizing scenarios that indicate early CPAP use, such as physical signs of respiratory distress, pursed lips, abnormal lung sounds, decreased pulse oximetry levels and tachypnea.
7. Capnography scenarios
While capnography is a valuable assessment tool that has proven its versatility, validity and value on a number of scales, it’s often misunderstood.
Train medics to start with the waveform in these three training scenarios where capnography is a must.
8. Identifying sepsis
Sepsis alert criteria can aid in formally identifying sepsis signs and symptoms, but what about training? Use the word SEPSIS as an acronym for integrating sepsis recognition into case scenarios, practical assessments and day-to-day clinical decision-making.
9. Improving CPR
Having access to – and utilizing – CPR feedback devices in your training scenarios can provide your crew data that can reshape practices, validate hypotheses and provide quality oversight comfort in knowing that everyone is capable of effective CPR.
10. Citizen bystander training
Citizens are the force multipliers of public safety, and have the potential to save lives before EMS arrives. Train your community to be the first, first responder and be able to rescue friends, loved ones and nearby victims.
This article, originally published in July 2022, has been updated.
