EMR workshop participants and Instructors
Everyone including the doctors through one spokesperson of the Police, Fire, Nurses, Doctors, Red Cross, and representative from Overseas, Anguilla, thanked the organisers and sponsor, the Governor’s Office, praised facilitators and lecturers. RMFS Chief Mr. Andre West who was presented as the person who persisted to stage the course in Montserrat made special mention of Miss Milykhia McKenzie of The Montserrat Reporter, though representing the Red Cross, was the only private sector representative.
She gave a review in an almost daily run down of the different courses, from a telephone call to pick up the books which required two days of homework preparation and daily homework, first for the first course advancing after tests/exams to the EMR, ITLS and related pediatric.
Milykhia McKenzie of The Montserrat Reporter, Red Cross rep
23 participants from various emergency agencies graduated with 100% pass. 17 received certificate of competency in Emergency Medical Response EMR, while 15 in ITLS and 10 ITLS pediatric. The participants with a high success rate in the EMR course moved on to take the International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) and the ITLS Paediatrics’ course, similarly five participants following with a brief Instructor’s course taking the training workshop down to April 5. (see bottom – for gallery of photos)
The occasion was a closing ceremony of a training workshop on Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) and International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) Training, conducted at the Police Headquarters Training room in Brades.
Fire Officer Vachel Murrain, chaired the proceedings with participant Yvette Halley delivering an opening prayer.
Newly appointed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Andre West gave brief remarks in which he informed the 23 graduants of the workshop, “your journey has just begun. It is now time to put what you have learnt and experienced over the period 19th March to today 5thApril into practice,” reminding them of a quote: “ Remember “if you don’t use it you will surely lose it.”
Chief Fire Officer, Andre West
Besides the graduants there were a small number of guests which included the media as well as representatives from the Governor’s Office who was the main sponsor of the workshop.
“Today we have successfully achieved another essential milestone of providing professional training in Emergency Medical response and International trauma Life support for adults and pediatric,” West explained in his brief remarks. He added that they were expected, “to respond efficiently and effectively to emergencies of that nature. Thus improving the service we provide to the people of Montserrat for the purpose of saving lives, minimizing the effect of injuries and promoting recovery.”
West also emphasized that the value of the training that was delivered over the past few weeks, ‘way’ out weights the actual cost. He added, “I am confident that the participants can share the same testimony.”
The chief instructor was Jeffrey Gilliard, President and CEO of Emergency Education and Technology Systems (EMETS) in Rockledge, Florida. In brief closing remarks, he reviewed briefly, the training course and all of the areas covered.
Chief Instructor, Jeffrey Gilliard
“They went over EMS (Emergency Medical Systems) work force safety and wellness, medical, legal and ethical issues, communications and documentations, anatomy and physiology, the entire human body, airway management. Also, American Heart Association CPR or basic life support, for which they receive a certification card. Patient assessment, medical emergencies, poisoning and substance abuse, behavioral emergencies, environmental emergencies, bleeding, shock and soft issues injuries. Injuries to the muscle and bone, child birth, pediatric emergencies, geriatric emergencies, lifting and moving patients with a total core content hour of 75 hours,” he explained.
“Additionally,” he said there was, “EMS education to include the ITLS programs of another 16 hours,” making a total hours of 91 hours. For this accomplishment he offered congratulations to the participants.
Gilliard’s assistant for the duration of the course was Jacqueline Greenidge-Payne who hailed from St. Croix, USVI. She is a paramedic, working with the Fire Service. Mrs. Greenidge Payne says the training allowed the emergency organizations here to form a network that will result in them working cohesively.
Jacqueline Greenidge-Payne
She gave background to service of medical responders. “Right now all emergency medical service organization nationwide in the United States came together and decided we want to a have the same agenda – the same scope – everyone is doing the same thing throughout the United States,” she said.
She read what that global vision is, “so that you can see that your start is part of our global vision.
“Emergency medical services of the future will be community based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify, modify, illnesses and injury risk, provide acute illness and injury care and follow up and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community help monitoring. EMS will remain the Public Emergency Medicals safety network.”
The facilitator explained that the participants did for the last two-three weeks, “formed that network. We have brought them together cause here now we have – what police, EMS, Red cross all on the same page.”
“So when you get up there you all know the vision,. “ she advised. “What the mission and what we all need to be doing, that way, we save time and we save more lives.” She concluded.
RMPS Sgt. Rassol
Each named body through a representative gave their impression of the workshop. Each one reflected on the depth and the strenuous nature of what they studied, but talked to the benefits they believe they gained from the course, from which there was not a single dropout from any the courses.
Deputy Commissioner Bradley Siddell presented certificates in the various categories to participants, preceded by a well received rendition by RMPS P. C. Kevin Barnes.
