Fanshawe students get hands-on experience with emergency training exercise

Students at Fanshawe College are getting hands-on experience this week by participating in emergency training exercises.

The event, known as 'trauma and treatment' prepares students for a variety of simulated emergencies they would have to face on the job as paramedics.

“So far everyone has been saying that this is pretty realistic," said Lindsay Boere, a second-year paramedic student at Fanshawe.

"When we’re coming up on the scene, sometimes it's messy… we don’t always know what we’re going into on a call, that's what it's like in the field and that's what it's been like here,” she said.

Some of the scenarios students have to respond to include a mass casualty situation, a serious car accident, an electrical explosion, and a snowmobile accident.

“It’s been really cool to see real-life scenarios," said Skyla Figliuzzi, a paramedic student. "It's been a great experience to have that real-life aspect and put our skills to the test."

As part of the training students will learn how to respond to emergency calls, provide onsite assessment and treatment of patients, played by acting students.

Jenn Doyle, the coordinator of the paramedic program at Fanshawe said students aren't being tested on this event. The goal is for them to learn from the experience itself.

“We’ve got acting students who are playing patients and are taking it to the next level," said Doyle.

"What we are aiming to achieve this time is that signature learning experience for our second-year students,”

“We have over 250 student volunteers across 6 Fanshawe college programs including the residency program at western that are participating,”

Community partners including the London Health Sciences Centre, the London Fire Department, and paramedic services from Oxford and Norfolk counties will be helping students with the emergency responses.

Emergency training exercises will continue around Fanshawe's campus Friday and Saturday.