“Invite a few Dummies for training.”

     When providing training opportunities for your department it is crucial that you allow the firefighters a realistic experience. Before I go any further in this topic I want to be completely clear that at no time should you put another person in a dangerous position. They must always have full PPE. I also would remind everyone to never use a volunteer victim in any live fire situation.

     We often use other firefighters as volunteer victims for vehicle extrication and building search. This can be a great opportunity for them to witness firsthand what the victims would be experiencing. It can often be an eye opener at how loud rescue tools and activities are. There are many times that it just isn’t safe to use a real victim for training. One example would be a rescue from heights situation. We have used different types of mannequins in the past. Our first one was made of old fire hose and an old set of turnout gear. This was a very inexpensive solution to provide some great training.

     We have recently purchased a new mannequin that is a full size 165 lb unit. Our experience with this one is that the weight is realistic but it is very rigid. We have used another type that is made of a canvas material filled with shredded rubber. Although it was lighter it did simulate an unconscious victim very well.

     Whatever one you select the key is to set up good evolutions. To simulate a live victim while using a thermal imager you can tape hand warming pads to the face and hands of the dummy.

Training Objectives

     Upon completion the firefighter should be able to….

     • Identify when it is unsafe to use volunteer victims.

     • Select advantages of using dummies.

     • Provide examples of when training dummies can enhance your departments training.

     Scott Meinecke is a member of the Sheldon Volunteer Fire Department, a job training and safety instructor for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, and field staff for the Fire Service Training Bureau. He can be contacted by email smeinecke@iowarec.org

 

 

 

Blaze Publications, Inc.

Jeff Gargano - Editor
P.O. Box 122
Humboldt, IA 50548
jeff@blazepublicationsinc.com

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