First responders train at simulated trauma center

World Today

Practicing on these fake injured helps first responders gather the necessary skills so that in a natural disaster or an emergency an overwhelmed healthcare system could cope.

Dr. Jim Ireland, The Queen’s Medical Center says, “We come together in this situation and these scenarios and kind of gel as a new team even though we are all from different ERs and different places.”

King asks, “In a natural disaster or emergency, could what you’re practicing today save lives?”

Dr. Jim says, “Absolutely because the very nature of disaster means there’s too many patients for the resources and obviously hospitals can’t accommodate a rush of 10, 20 or 100 patients. And so by having this first stop you can get bleeding stopped, we can start IV fluids we can get antibiotics out.”

While this RIMPAC has all been about 22 nations sharing resources and coordinating, the humanitarian drills are also emphasizing working with civilian authorities to practice working with local hospitals and organizations as they would during a real disaster- hundreds of Hawaiian volunteers, many from local hospitals played the wounded and dying.

Even in port the humanitarian presence is expanded this year. The U.S. hospital ship Mercy is participating in the exercise for the first time.

First responders train at simulated trauma center

Practicing on these fake injured helps first responders gather the necessary skills so that in a natural disaster or an emergency an overwhelmed healthcare system could cope.

For more on the Rim of the Pacific exercises, Harlan Ullman joins the show.

He is a military analyst and a senior adviser to leaders in business and government on national security.

First responders train at simulated trauma center

For more on the Rim of the Pacific exercises, Harlan Ullman joins the show.