86
|
FALL 2013
in a combined training exercise involving the dive professionals
and the lifeguards. Both parties will learn a lot. This approach is
also relevant to dive boats and managed dive sites.
Another group to engage when conducting training
simulations are any divers with advanced (or higher)
certifications. These divers make great bystanders, victims
or dive buddies. They’ve already shown an interest in
learning more about diving, and their involvement in an
emergency simulation might motivate them to take a CPR,
oxygen provider or rescue diver course. Plus, these divers
will appreciate the opportunity to observe their local dive
professionals improving their preparedness and skills.
Elements of Great Training Scenarios
Planning:
Great emergency simulations incorporate as
many elements of real-life incidents as possible. It’s often
the subtle nuances of these scenarios that throw the curve
balls to staff. For example, a diver showing signs consistent
with decompression sickness acting defensive about his dive
profile and insisting he is not bent adds realism and a dynamic
not encountered in most training courses. Dive accidents
are never routine; they include twists and turns and differ
substantially from one another. A great place to get ideas for
fresh and engaging scenarios is the Incident Insight column of
Alert Diver.
Set the Stage:
Scenarios should never put any participants or
bystanders in harm’s way. Supervisory staff should oversee and
orchestrate the training at all times and should notify anyone in
the vicinity who is not participating that training is taking place.
Supervisory staff should also be prepared to recognize and
respond to a real emergency should one occur during training.
Another key to successfully setting the stage is establishing
rules and parameters for the scenario. Do not set up
participants to fail by neglecting to explain the nature of
the training or declare what areas are off limits. Instruct
participants on how they should call for help, and make
sure they know who is an available bystander and who is a
nonparticipating evaluator. Be mindful of how the training
could go wrong, and take steps to prevent those outcomes.
Rope off the training area, and post signs to inform passersby
that they’re witnessing a training exercise. Make sure to
appropriately manage any hazards to participants or the public.
Be careful of equipment that gets strewn around the site, and
ensure it is picked it up reasonably promptly to minimize the
training’s impact on others.
Give key players such as “victims” and “bystanders”
precise instructions on what to say and do. Allowing them
to improvise or freelance can be problematic and may
complicate the scenario in ways that don’t enhance learning.
Evaluators:
Keep at least one person out of the scenario
to act as an evaluator. The evaluator should take notes
and monitor a stopwatch to note when key events occur.
The evaluator’s record should include both good and bad
decisions and actions; it will serve as the basis for the
debriefing at the end. The evaluator should monitor not only
the training exercise but also activities outside the exercise,
since the public or the setting may necessitate changes to the
scenario. If the training needs to be stopped, all participants
must be prepared to pay attention to the evaluator if he or
she intervenes.
Add Realism:
The closer the simulation is to real life, the
better prepared the participants will be in the event of an
actual emergency. Add realistic elements such as cell phones
for making “emergency calls,” discarded wetsuits that can
be cut off unresponsive victims, emotional bystanders and
victims who can be relied on to stay in character. Consider the
following ideas:
• Cell phones:
Preprogram a number into a cell phone that
can be used to simulate a call to EMS. A person at the
other end of the line should be standing by to play the
role of a 911 operator and ask the caller questions about
the emergency. Since a cell phone could become wet
or damaged during a scenario, you might wish to use a
dummy phone and conduct conversations out loud.
• Bystanders:
Have some individuals designated to create
background noise or distractions. Prepare grieving,
horrified and/or helpful bystanders to make comments
such as, “Oh no! This is awful!” or “How may I help?”
• Victims:
If someone is playing the role of an unresponsive
diver, that person should be as limp as possible. Dead
weight adds surprising and realistic difficulty to patient
transport.
• Old wetsuits:
Have participants prepare unresponsive
victims for CPR and the application of AED pads by
actually cutting retired wetsuits off a person or manikin.
• Training units:
Realistic training exercises can be hard
on equipment. If possible, designate oxygen units and
first aid kits that are functional but can get wet, sandy and
slightly banged up.
• Timing:
Allow an appropriate amount of time to pass
until “EMS arrives” on scene. According to national EMS
response-time data, the interval between a scenario’s
phone call for help and the theoretical arrival of EMS
should be about 8 minutes in urban locations and 10
minutes in rural areas.
Debriefing:
A critical element of any training simulation
is the post-training critique and review session. Before you
begin, consider participants’ readiness for learning. Allow
them a short period to relax and collect themselves, but
reconvene within a few minutes in a comfortable location
that’s free of distractions. Participants should describe
