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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1987)
Monday, November 9, 1987/The Battalion/Page 5 students at A&M practice ways o rescue victims of accidents »'rainees prepare in emergency medical-technique drills lcut herell By Marie L. McLeod Reporter I Sixteen Texas A&M students ar rived at the Brayton Firemen Train ing Field at 8 a.m. Saturday with one Bne on their minds, “disaster.” ■The students were there to learn about extrication, the removing of mured victims from accident wreck age or natural barriers. ■They were prepared for a chal lenging and eventful day that was sure to be disastrous. ■The students were emergency medical technician (EMT) trainees ■rolled in Health Education 319, Emergency Medical Techniques, taught by Laura Kitzmiller, associate professor of the health and physical education department. ■ After getting through some minor paperwork, the trainees were split ■to two groups. One group re mained in the classroom and the other went outside to an area with ■adoned cars and buses to perform ■trication drills. ■ Later the two groups would switch areas. ■ After watching a demonstration with the Kendrick’s Extrication De vice (KEDS), the students split into J^ams and practiced using the KEDS I remove victims from wrecked Mrs. The device wraps around a vic tim with possible neck and spinal in juries, stabilizing the neck and spine to prevent further injury when a vic- ■n is moved from an accident or di- ■ster scene. B When it Finished, the class went to lunch. As the students ate, they ■Iked with anticipation of calami tous events to come. ■ After lunch, the activities grew more challenging and students needed to use their newly acquired skills. P One group went to a fourth-story Mlcony where they learned to se- Bire a victim in a Stoke’s basket, a wire basket about 7 feet long and 1 foot deep used to safely lower vic tims over balcony railings to the ground using ropes. T Next, the group went to a fourth- ■ story window on another side of the building and learned how to rappel. / Meanwhile, students from Kitz- miller’s Health Education 218 class, Emergency Care and Treatment, ar rived at the fire school to become volunteer victims for the student trainees. Kitzmiller, with some assistance, transformed the supposed sufferers into victims for the final disaster. It swas Halloween revisited as the stu dents were covered with artificial wounds and syrup with red food col oring to make the drill more realistic for the trainees. f After preparations were com pleted, the victims were ready to as sume positions for the final calamity. I The area has a semicircle-shaped creek, which is about 75 feet wide with steep embankments, running through it. A barbed wire stretches ■cross the right side of the creek and up through the woods opposite the aining areas. It was divided into three areas, lach with two pretend patients. After finishing at the rappelling tower, the students reconvened for briefings and procedures concern ing their final drill, the “disaster.” I They were split into three groups, one for each area. A team captain A&M students prepare for disasters with emergency medical training. maintained control over each team and manned the two-way radio at the command station. The scene was set for the long awaited drill to begin. Suddenly, a tone came over the radios. A severe thunderstorm had swept through the town with damag ing tornadoes. “EMS call. Respond to the Brayton Firemen Training School near the creek. The number of injured is unknown at this time.” Shortly after, two of the rescue teams were at the bank of the creek. With the use of a rope, one by one, they went down the steep wall, crossed the creek and began search ing the heavily-wooded area for vic tims. They found severely wounded victims and required the use of a tra verse line, a system used to transport victims across the creek and to get equipment into the area. Finding four of the victims, the trainees began working, making do with the limited supplies available to them. After securing their patients to backboards, they carried them through thick brush, down inclines and some through the barbed wire fence to get to the traverse line. Secured to an equipment truck on the bank/ the traverse line was two ropes with pullies that spanned about 75 feet down into the creek, where it was tied to a tree. After arriving below the com mand point, the trainees strapped the volunteer victims in a Stoke’s basket and other trainees slowly pulled each victim up to safety for further treatment. The victims were then trans ported to a covered area so an in structor could assess the treatment rendered by the trainees. Two other volunteer victims were trapped in a car that was stuck half way down a slope to the creek. They had to be extricated from the car and then lifted up the wall in a bas ket. After all of the victims were re moved from the scene, the drill was over. Photo by Marie L. McLeod Then, to end the day’s activities, everyone met for a critique session. It was an open discussion. The victims told of both good and bad as pects of their experiences as pa tients. Then the team captains as sessed overall team performance. Lastly, the instructors who observed the different areas of the drill of fered constructive criticism. Kitzmiller said in addition to 100 classroom hours, 20 hours of in-hos pital time and three patient-care am bulance runs, students must spend eight hours learning extrication be fore they are eligible to take the state exam and skills test to become a cer tified EMT in Texas. “It (extrication day) is one of the most valuable experiences for them because it’s hands-on experience,” she said. “It makes it more realistic. “They get the basic knowledge from books and out here they are able to adapt with that knowledge.” $Park rangers begin collecting admission fees : CORPUS CHRISTI (AP) — Park rangers this re weekend made waves when they began collecting admission fees at Padre Island National Sea- e at-shore. ants “We turned around at first,” Bob Heady said from the back of a pickup full of friends. “We ire-had to go get some money. This is cutting into juldour Cheetos budget.” His friend, Tom, who asked that his last name uirenotbe used, said, “I think $1 per person — that’s thin kind of outrageous, don’t you think? It will turn that people who live here away.” i The fees are the first ever collected at the park tan-since it opened in 1968, and are part of a Reagan |uir administration plan to generate additional reve nues for the national parks. ,ap- Iters reed cials Ranger Fred Cochran said, “We’ve been pretty busy. There have been a few gripes, but almost everyone else goes in. I started at six in the morn ing and there’s been a steady stream of people ever since. been a few turn around — probably five or six cars — since this morning. But most people have figured they are already out here, so they just pay.” Under the new fee structure a seven-day pass is $ 1 per person up to a maximum of $3 per car or truck; a one-calendar-year pass is $10; a Golden Eagle pass that admits bearers to any na tional park goes for $25 and there’s a $l-per-per- son day charge for bus riders, walkers or bicy clists. Kent Hubert of Corpus Christi echoed what many beach-goers said. “It all depends on how the money is utilized,” he said. “If they can start some legislation to stop the offshore dumping, I’m all for it.” Acting Superintendent Max Hancock said last week that a bill pending before Congress would return half of the local entrance fees to the na tional seashore for projects like dune restoration. The remaining revenue would help fund other parks maintained by the National Parks Service, including those that do not charge admission. a 30 bod AT A&M NEARLY EVERYBODY (36,000 active, affluent Aggies) Reads The Battalion If you’ve got tough questions about Religion CUFF KITE CHILE will answer them for you at Rudder Fountain 11-2 p.m. November 9, 10,11, IS Sblsa 11-2 November 12 Defensive Driving Course Nov. 11,12 and Nov. 17,18 College Station Hilton For information or to pre-register phone 693-8178 24 hours a day. Hi ■■■■■■■■I cut he re i ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■i Monday Madness 16" one-item pizza for 12" one-item price $6 00 plus tax NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER COUPON OR SPECIALS FAST, FRESH, HOT AND DELIVERED FREE Call 76-GUMBY 764-8629 Hours Sun-Wed: 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Thur-Sat: 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Entry Form 1987 Vet School sponsored All University Greased Pig Chase Friday Nov. 13th 7:00 P.M. Louis Pierce Pavillion - Jersey Street Part of Proceeds to Benefit 12th Man Entry fee $12°7team Hog Calling Contest featuring - Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni, Mason Hogan - student body president, Yell leaders, Diamond Darlings and more... Team Name Team Members Divisions Co-Rec (2 men,2 women) Women’s (4) Men’s (4) -Rules- 1. May enter each division only once 2. Limited to the first 100 teams 3. Turn in entry forms to Vet school foyer between 12:00-1:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 4. Last day to enter will be Friday, Nov. 13th, 4:00 p.m. 5. Prizes will be awarded for first three places in each division For more information call Bryan Neff or Pete Hey at 846-8449 or Mich elle Hlavinka at 693-9657 between 8:00-10:00 p.m. I hereby release the College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M Uni versity and all persons involved with the 1987 All University Greased Pig Chase from responsibilities due to injuries or accidents that may occur during said event to be held on Nov. 13th, 1987. Signatures of all participants Date: STUDENT HAIRCARE SAVINGS! , COUPON SAVINGS | $4 OFF STUDENT CUT i Reg. $8 MasterCuts \ ™ family haircutters ! OFF STUDENT CUT l I __I_R0 ? _S8 I I OFF ANY PERM | MasterCuts | famHu haircutters MasterCuts family haircutters POST OAK MALL 693-9998