Inver Hills EMS, Simley H.S. AVID, IGH Fire and Police, and North Memorial Air Care participate
Students in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program at Inver Hills Community College took part in an emergency simulation Friday morning, March 20, on the college’s main campus in Inver Grove Heights. The simulation was a community-based learning experience in partnership with Simley High School AVID. The Inver Grove Heights Fire and Police departments participated in the simulation, which included a mock four-car pileup and a helicopter response from North Memorial Air Care.
Dave Ussatis, an EMS instructor at Inver Hills, Dan Lemke, AVID coordinator at Simley, and Katie Halcrow, director of community-based learning at Inver Hills, coordinated the simulation, which was held on campus in the North Lot. The event required a huge amount of planning and logistical expertise. The EMS students performed a mock rescue using triage stations, gurneys, ambulances and a hospital—all set up onsite—as well as hot loading (rotors still turning) a patient on a helicopter. The students gained invaluable experience, allowing them to work with a younger population—a situation they wouldn’t normally encounter. The simulation delivered experiential practice toward meeting the following EMS course goals:
- Accurately documenting all aspects of a basic ambulance run
- Demonstrating good body mechanics when lifting and moving
- Properly using the mobile radio and base station
- Following dispatching procedures for simulated addresses and scenarios
- Effectively managing all aspects of a simulated, basic life-support ambulance run
- Applying appropriate protocol during a simulated, basic life-support ambulance run
The community-based learning project also provided an engaging, hands-on activity for the Simley AVID students, who simulated vehicular accident victims with various injuries. Their awareness was enhanced regarding the EMS profession and what happens in an emergency situation, in this instance, a multiple-vehicle accident involving alcohol and a large number of victims.
For more photos, visit:
Inver Hills EMS Simulation album on Flickr
For more information about Community-Based Learning at Inver Hills, contact:
Katie Halcrow
Director of Community-Based Learning
Inver Hills Community College
Dakota County Technical College
IHCC: 651-450-3241
DCTC: 651-423-8674
For more information about the EMS program at Inver Hills, contact:
David Ussatis
EMS Instructor
651-450-3262
For more information about AVID at Simley High School, contact:
Dan Lemke
AVID Coordinator
Simley High School
651-306-7132
Inver Grove Heights AVID
