Extrication Competitions - My View
With the World Rescue Challenge (WRC) only weeks away I thought I would briefly offer my view on the concept of extrication competitions and maybe dispel a few myths for those rescuers who are not in favour of such events. Also I hope to offer some guidance for new teams, or teams who are thinking of starting to compete in their own local competitions, based on my experiences as an assessor. Finally I will offer some tips!
First of all let me put my point of view in context. In 2005 I started as a regional assessor in the UK. From there I graduated to National level and in 2009 I was privileged to assess at the WRC in the Republic of Ireland. I did something right as I was invited to assess again in 2010 in New Zealand. So maybe I am not the most objective person here.
Grab the opportunity
In my opinion, every rescuer who prides themselves in their ability to extricate victims or road traffic collisions should aspire to form an extrication team and compete. There is simply no better forum for continued development. To have such highly regarded industry experts on hand to assess, debrief and guide you is simply something money cannot buy.
What's your challenge?
Firstly, remember, it is a challenge. Yes I know there is a first, second and third place but the element of competition has creeped in over the years and is here to stay. However, it is important for teams (especially new teams) to remember that the challenge is for them to perform as well as they possibly can in the scenario (or ‘run off’) that has been designed for them. I have met many teams who are happy with their performance and yet disappointed with the fact they finished 12th. This should not be the case.
Best criteria
There are no secrets about what is expected of you as a team. In fact the marking guide and the marking criteria are available online. So provided you understand what is required, then there is no reason you cannot perform well. The marking guide and criteria are written by industry experts and are widely considered to be best practice.
Performance comparison
As an assessor, many teams would talk to me after the event and explain that they felt they had performed better than another team. They would tell me that they had watched this other team and ‘they were not as good as us’. I can assure anyone reading this that watching a team from a distance does not allow you to critically assess their performance, let alone compare it to your own. Of course a caveat to this is if you witness something obviously incorrect, but generally, as a spectator you are not aware of all of the information surrounding the extrication. What you can pick up from watching other teams is their dynamics, how they move, communicate and work around the pit.
Scenarios
Each ‘run off’ is different, so I was often told ‘theirs was easier than ours’. The point to keep in mind here is that each scenario will be more complex in a specific area e.g. stability or space creation etc. so as far as possible it is a level playing field. However it is impossible to ensure every team faces exactly the same challenge so do not expect this.
Assessors
Now, the assessors: Each assessor is different and even though they assess to the same criteria it is impossible to ensure absolute consistency. Personal interpretation is as close as it can be and assessors meet regularly to discuss the assessment criteria. Trust me; assessors argue more with each other than they ever will with a team as they are so passionate about delivering a quality debrief. Remember too that you will only be assessed on what you have done (not on what could have happened) and an assessor should never assess you on what they would have done.
Tips
Here are some hot tips for each of the assessment criteria:
1. Incident Commanders – The command assessor is responsible for the safety of everyone in the pit during the scenario. That means that they should always adopt the best and safest position. If I was being assessed as an incident commander this would be a guide to where I should be stood.
2. Medic – Keep it simple and do the basics well. Get oxygen on early (within 90 seconds) and remember that the interior assessor (the live patient) is part of the assessment team. Know your equipment. If you propose to use a pulse oximeter/stethoscope (not required as part of the assessment criteria) then ensure you are able to answer any question that may result from the use of such equipment, otherwise it gets embarrassing.
3. Technical Team – Know your evolutions and know your equipment. The challenge is not the best place to use a new piece of equipment for the first time. That does get embarrassing. Also, do not become too task focussed. If the plan is not going right, make a change.
To end I would say this: As an assessor I NEVER expected ANYTHING DIFFERENT from the teams I assessed than I did from my crew on the road during real life extrications. Now, get competing!
As always I welcome your feedback.
Ian Dunbar