College of Education and Human Development
Disaster Training Prepares Mason Students for the "Big and Bad"
April 20, 2015
This isn't textbook learning!
For six weeks, 30 George Mason University students have been meeting on campus for emergency disaster training as part of their course work for HEAL 205: Principles of Accident Causation and Prevention.
Adjunct instructor Nancy Chamberlain incorporates Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training as a required part of the class. CERT instructors participate in the course, helping teach students how to perform simple triage and rapid treatment in case of something "big and bad," like a mass casualty situation.
Instructor Nancy Chamberlain (second from left) with some of her students (from left), Sam Scullen, Ian Stewart, and Bobby Stanley. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
This past weekend, the students completed their training with a full-on disaster simulation at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy, the same facility where the county's firefighters and EMTs train.
The article below is a description of the simulation exercise, written by Joe Loong, which first appered on the Fairfax County CERT Volunteers Blog.
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The Actors Arrive
While the George Mason University students get organized and put on their personal protective equipment, CERT staffers get busy applying moulage, or wound makeup, to the volunteer victim actors (many of whom are Mason students recruited for the occasion) who are portraying disaster survivors.
A few of the victim actors who participated in the drill. All are wearing moulage (wound makeup), simulating lacerations and impalement by debris (wood and glass). Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
With their fake wounds and acting skills, live human actors greatly increase the challenge (as well as the benefits) of the training exercise.
Facing the Fire
However, before the George Mason University students begin the final exercise, they first must face off against an instructor-controlled fire and put it out using a fire extinguisher.
Each fire suppression teams consist of two people: One person to operate the extinguisher and a buddy who watches out for hazards. Each student gets a chance to try both roles.
Also, as a perk of being at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy, students get the chance to operate a fire hose.
Mason students operate a fire hose outside the burn building, under the guidance of Fairfax County firefighters. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
Facing the Scenario
With the preliminaries out of the way, the evening's main course begins. The drill's scenario: A tornado strikes the George Mason University campus, inflicting heavy damage. The students must go to a damaged dorm (represented here by Burn Building A), and assess the scene, begin disaster operations, and help survivors until professional responders arrive.
The command staff sets up, establishing a command post, medical area, and logistics cache, as well as deploying teams of rescuers to size up the scene and determine if it's safe to begin search and rescue activities.
When cleared to begin, rescue teams are assigned to search specific areas of the darkened, damaged building. When they find survivors, the Mason students must quickly assess each one, treating only life-threatening bleeding, sucking chest wounds, or closed airways, then give each survivor a Green, Yellow, Red, or Black tag (indicating their treatment priority) and move on to the next survivor.
Team members assist a survivor and record her status to report back to command. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
Because this is a mass casualty scenario, the student rescuers have a goal of spending only 30 seconds on each survivor, so they can do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. After they complete their initial task, they report back to the incident commander, who assembles a picture of the overall disaster scene, and uses that information to issue followup assignments.
Rescuers use simple tests, like squeezing fingernails to check perfusion, to quickly determine a survivor's status. They also treat major bleeding with pressure dressings, as seen above. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
Meanwhile, the logistics team gathers needed supplies, including tarps, bandaging material, and stretchers, which transport teams will use to bring survivors back to the medical area.
The students use a stretcher to transport a survivor back to the medical area. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
At first, the medical area is quiet. However, as rescue teams bring in survivors, each one needs to be reassessed, treated, and given ongoing care. As the disaster operation grows in size and complexity, so does the medical area.
Rescuers deliver survivors to the red-tag section of the medical area. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
The End and the Beginning
For the Mason students, the entire exercise scene is stressful, complicated, and confusing... just like in a real disaster. They utilize the skills they've learned in class to cope and adapt as they work to help survivors, while keeping themselves safe.
Instructor Rich Hall leads a post-drill "hot wash" review with the students and victim actors. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
After the exercise concludes, the students meet to debrief and assess their performance. Then, there is cake.
Instructor Nancy Chamberlain cuts cake for the newly minted CERT-trained students. Photo: Joe Loong, Fairfax County CERT.
"The reason for making this training required is simple: job preparation," says Chamberlain, a Red Cross-certified safety instructor, wilderness first responder, and trained CERT. "Most of the students will go on to the health or education fields, working in public schools or public facilities." The training provides skills that will be useful in their jobs, daily lives, and in the community at large.
Through classroom and hands-on training, the students learn to deal with big emergencies where first responders might be delayed, including earthquakes, tornadoes, and active shooter events.
Along the way, they learn disaster response skills such as how to assess, triage, and treat survivors of mass casualty events; how to use simple tests, duct tape, and rags to stop the "3 killers" (obstructed airways, major bleeding, and shock) in 30 seconds or less; how to perform search and rescue in moderately damaged buildings; and most importantly, how to keep themselves safe while they help others.
Congratulations to the new Mason student CERTs of Class 90 and special thanks to all the volunteer victim actors and staffers!
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Fairfax County CERT offers free training several times a year at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy and locations throughout the community. For more information, please visit www.fairfaxcountycert.org.
For information on how to major or minor in health, physical education, and other areas of study at George Mason University, visit the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism website at rht.gmu.edu or email srht@gmu.edu to speak with an advisor.
About CEHD
George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE, and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. George Mason University, located just outside of Washington, DC, is Virginia's largest public research university.
For additional information:
- CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
- School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism: rht.gmu.edu
- Health and Physical Education program: rht.gmu.edu/phed
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