By Tom Kiurski
In a previous article, I discussed how our department performed a bus extrication training evolution. We found several buses after making a few stops and telephone calls. We used all the buses we needed for our extrication training but kept the nicest bus aside for future use. We decided to take the previous bus extrication training, throw in a dozen injured school students, and mix it all in with a car “crashed” into the side of the bus.
The students were briefed on their injuries. Cards were made up for them that described their vital signs, which they then could give the firefighters when vitals were taken. The injuries were explained to the students, along with coaching tips on how they might act under the circumstances. The moulage was left in the able hands of students and staff, who made the injuries look real.
(1) Take one donated bus, block the main door with a crashed car, mix in some smoke, add some screaming moulaged high school students, and you have the makings of a great drill. (Photo by author.)
training session began, screaming school bus students added to the confusion of the vehicle fire. Crews faced restricted bus access. As the incident unfolded, help was called early on, and triage took place as the incident command system was placed into action.
We were all aware that this was a training session, but the screaming students, the smoke in the car, and the access/exit challenge pumped our crews up to give a fantastic effort at this exercise. The amount of time needed to set it up was well worth the training gained. We did not forget to reward the students with their own copies of the local newspaper that did a photo story about the event and a certificate of appreciation signed by the fire chief and myself.
Tom Kiurski is training coordinator, a paramedic, and the director of fire safety education for Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue. His book, Creating a Fire-Safe Community: A Guide for Fire Safety Educators (Fire Engineering, 1999), is a guide for bringing the safety message to all segments of the community efficiently and economically.