Being properly prepared to respond to any given rescue squad call situation can mean the difference between life and death, but it can be difficult to simulate some of the incredibly dangerous circumstances that arise when training.
So, having the right tools in a squad’s tool belt may be what gets members ready to respond to a potentially deadly situation in a way that saves lives.
When a local rescue squad like Hazel Green’s needs to practice for scenarios such as how to save people from a flipped, overturned car, it may not be feasible or safe to put their volunteers in a simulated environment to allow other volunteers to learn how to get them out and treat them while preventing further harm.
That is where a tool like Rescue Randy comes in handy.
Hazel Green Area Rescue Squad was fortunate to receive grant funding recently to be able to buy one of these lifelike, full-human-size manikins to train with, said Jason Piddington, of the Hazel Green Area Rescue Squad.
They have never had a tool like this before, he added.
The normal cost is around $2,300 for the manikin and accompanying supplies they purchased, said Piddington. So the state grant dollars were key to helping the volunteer service add Randy to their lineup of training tools.
So far, it’s come in handy in numerous ways. Going forward, the rescue squad anticipates finding many more uses for it, as well, said Piddington.
Some of these involve getting the community more involved with the squad and providing learning and outreach opportunities.
The squad took Randy to an event at the park recently and let kids practice bandaging cuts after providing them with a demonstration, said Piddington.
The members have also been able to highlight football safety equipment-wearing techniques and scenarios with Randy’s help, he added. In the coming future, they will likely dress him up in snowmobile gear with a similar purpose in mind.
In-between uses, Rescue Randy is now able to rest in the body bag that Casey-McNett Funeral Home donated to the rescue squad for that purpose, said Piddington.
The crew is grateful for this contribution, among all the others they receive that allow them to continue running as a volunteer operation, he added.
