GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It wasn’t a real-life situation but it could have been.
The Green Bay Metro Fire Department conducted training exercises Thursday simulating a seven vehicle accident.
Although training took place in a parking lot off of University Ave., Lt. Cody Johnson says the scenario was set up to replicate the off ramp from 172 onto Webster.
“In this case we’re doing extrication as well, so the guys will try to call up heavy duty who are pretty good with working with us and see if we can go down there and practice cutting up cars.”
They also practiced patient assessment and trauma transport to HSHS St. Vincent’s Hospital.
It takes the department around 15 minutes to complete the training exercise as they were training to respond in real time.
“It’s important to brush up on stuff, you know, see what things work, what don’t work and keep building on that,” said Johnson.
He says the department learns something new every time they complete a training.
Two paramedic students from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College volunteered to play the accident victims during the drill.
Jenn Powell was one of the volunteers and says she was interested in seeing the incident from the perspective of a patient.
“I think you can learn a lot about the patient’s side of things from being in that role; what it feels like being pulled out of a vehicle, what it feels like to be on the ambulance cot. I think it’s beneficial to see the chaos of a situation like this.”
The Green Bay Metro Fire Deparment completes four similar training exercises a year.
