MADAWASKA – Volunteer firefighters with the South Algonquin Township did not know what they were getting into on the evening of October 9.
When they arrived on scene, one student was trapped underneath a car and the other, in hysterics, was frozen behind the wheel.
Luckily, the scenario was staged and the students from Madawaska Valley District High School were only acting the part and getting community hours for their service.
That night, the volunteer firefighters had the chance to train with EMS medics to prepare for a very real situation.
Nicky Readman, a full time medic stationed in Whitney, was on hand to show firefighters how to put neck braces on victims and how to use different backboards in case of an emergency.
Often in the wintertime, Readman is the only paramedic that is called on scene in South Algonquin Township and is first on scene before backup from Barry’s Bay arrives. This means she is often alone when called to a snowmobile accident or other incident in the township.
Since local firefighters are called too, they work hand-in-hand with the EMS service.
“These guys are my lifeline,” Readman explained.
She and the firefighters get together at least twice a year to train together. Last Wednesday, they had the opportunity to try out a backboard in a bag, a first for the firefighters.
See more pics in the October 16, 2013 issue of The Valley Gazette.