By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald
East Pierce Fire & Rescue's demonstration at last week's meeting of the board of fire commissioners included an interactive, training mannequin that can talk, scream and present a variety of symptoms.
Fire district representatives demonstrated the use of the state-of-the-art adult, youth and baby mannequins purchased with funds from a Fire-Act Grant the fire district received.
The purpose of the grant is to increase the number of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) available to respond to the increasing needs of the East Pierce district and improve training in several specialty areas.
The mannequins are especially helpful in providing realistic, scenario-based training for EMTs, improving the strength and depth of emergency medical responses to the community and surrounding districts.
Other training tools purchased through the Fire-Act Grant include a training simulator that enables rescuers to practice seldom-used labor and delivery skills, including breech-births and twins.
The grant also will provide for several training programs that are scheduled to begin this spring. Two of these programs focus on training in specific areas the district has designated as at-risk populations, including children and the elderly.
Other coursework will provide pre-hospital trauma life support training and the demonstration of automotive extraction techniques - skills especially useful in treating patients involved in motor vehicle crashes and other trauma-related incidents.
Besides improving the skills of the East Pierce firefighters, the materials and equipment will be used to offer training opportunities for neighboring districts, establishing East Pierce as a regional training center.
The largest single portion of the money received from the grant was used to provide 120 hours of EMT training for volunteer firefighters. Twenty-two members completed the course in December.
The Fire-Act Grant is part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, administered by the United States Fire Administration.
In 2003, a total of $690 million was awarded through the program to more than 8,600 fire departments across the nation.
Of the 165 Washington state fire departments awarded a grant, only East Pierce Fire & Rescue and the Kent Fire Department received funds for emergency service-related programs.
East Pierce Fire & Rescue is a combination career and volunteer fire department, covering roughly 44 square miles on the plateau and serving approximately 45,000 residents of Bonney Lake and unincorporated Pierce County.
In 2002, East Pierce Fire & Rescue responded to 2,824 calls.
Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com
