At our campus we are lucky to have access to ‘Code Black’ which is a disaster simulation where emergency services within Ballarat come to campus and we simulate a disaster situation. This allows final-year students to treat ‘patients’ while under pressure in conjunction with other emergency services. They put the skills learnt during their degree into practice in a controlled and supportive environment.”
https://www.impact.acu.edu.au/future-student/nine-reasons-to-love-ballarat
https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5087570/real-life-disaster-training-they-hope-to-never-need/
https://www.paramedics.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Response_VOL45_Summer2018.pdf
Sirens, screams and shooting are all that could be heard at Australian Catholic University’s Ballarat campus on the 28 November. Exercise ‘Code Black’, a multi-modal attack involving an active shooter, hostages and a motor vehicle attack was being played out on campus. Final year Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Paramedicine students, Victoria Police, Ballarat CFA, Ballarat SES and ambulance paramedics were all taking part in a multi-agency real world scenario to hone and learn new skills. The scenario involved a driver of a car running down students before crashing the vehicle into a building, the driver then jumped out of the vehicle and started shooting while taking hostages and leaving dozens of victims injured or dead in his wake. The Code Black exercise was aimed at putting 65 final year students through their paces and put their four years of study to the test. Students took part in every part of the scenario from health commander to triaging, while coordinating with an emergency management team consisting of VICPOL, CFA, SES and two Victorian medical assistance teams with the aim of bringing order out of chaos. Once VICPOL Tactical Operations ‘neutralised’ the target, emergency crews could descend on campus in order to save as many of the injured as possible. Roughly 75 students in other year levels volunteered and played the part of the ‘casualties’. St John Ambulance volunteers further added to the realism by moulaging the victims with realistic wounds. Casualties were provided with triage sieve and sought vital signs in order to be triaged by the paramedic students. Casualties ranged from Priority 1, 2 and 3, uninjured or deceased; students had to identify the triage priorities of the victims and with the help of SES crews transport them to the casualty clearing station. Running in its third year, this event was organised and coordinated by Associate Professor of Paramedicine, Dr Helen Webb who with the help of her team put their many years of experience together to help prepare the next generation of paramedics.
https://www.facebook.com/WINNewsBallarat/videos/acu-disaster-exercise/1354085431290132/
