Crash simulation captures snapshot of a collaborative emergency response

Emergency response teams from across the Bega Valley collaborated in a highly-orchestrated event that played out at South East Regional Hospital on March 20.

The simulation involved NSW Police, Bega Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA), NSW Ambulance, Bega State Emergency Service (SES), Fire and Rescue, and Rural Fire Service (RFS).

Medical students, those already working in the industry, and high school students watched with studying eyes as they learned more about rescue, response and treatment on scene, through a life-like scenario.

Dr Nathan Oates, the coordinator of the exercise and an SERH anaesthetist, said simulated training in a safe environment was important for students as the realism they experience provided valuable lessons during a simulation evoking urgency.

"[It's] helping staff and students understand what can happen before a patient rolls in off the ambulance trolley," Dr Oates said.

"Simulation like this provides learners with a library of experience to draw upon so that when specific situations are encountered during real-time patient care, those times are not the first experience the learner has regarding that same situation."

Two cars were positioned to replicate a major traffic incident, one was a car fire simulator that began smoking before bursting into flames, the other a wreck donated by Finnerty Towing.

'Patients' were extricated from their vehicles, triaged, stabilised at the scene, and then transported via ambulance into the hospital, radios being heard over speakers allowed those listening to better understand what happens at the roadside.

ANU Rural Clinical School academic coordinator, Dr Erika Jaensch, said it was amazing to see all of the agencies working together, but also how university and high school students could watch and interact with the scenario.

"[The day] underscores the importance of cooperation and synergy among the different healthcare and emergency services in our region, fostering a culture of collaboration between responders," Dr Jaensch said.

ANU student Papa Amponn-Nyamekye said listening to the emergency teams working together was brilliant, while fellow students Tyler Leyden and Hannah Rewais said their perspectives provided a greater appreciation to the patient-experience.

"It was amazing to see how all the different teams work together, and just how clear everyone was to the point and succinct. I was told to be quite annoying, I kept going, 'I want to see my friend', and the cop was really good at comforting but also being firm," Ms Rewais said.

The two ANU students within the wrecked car, Hannah Ludecke and Emily Ryan, said the experience was terrifying and confronting, hearing the door crunching under cutters and jaws of life on the doors.

"We weren't really acting, there was glass everywhere, they were sawing the car apart and the metal snaps and was really loud - we don't want to be in a car accident," Ms Ludecke said.

The ANU students who acted during the event simultaneously said they were not the stars, the real stars were the emergency response teams.