RichmondCC students get experience with mass casualties during mock disaster drill

HAMLET — Sixty-five nursing and emergency medical services students from Richmond Community College learned how to deal with mass casualties during a mock disaster scenario Monday.

The training took place at the former Sandhills Regional Medical Center, which was acquired by FirstHealth of the Carolinas in late 2016 and closed the following year.

The mock drills have been going on for about a decade, according to nursing instructor Ronnie Tunstall.

“It started out with just nursing,” Tunstall said, with the EMS students eventually being brought in.

The training takes “months of planning,” starting in the fall, according to Tunstall, adding that this year’s event was the biggest she’s put together, with multiple RichmondCC instructors aiding in the exercise.

Prior to the start of the simulation, a medical chopper from Cape Fear Valley Health landed on the helipad, with students having the opportunity to sit inside and ask questions.

Other agencies helping out in the exercise included: Richmond County Emergency Services; Scotland County Emergency Services; Scotland County Sheriff’s Office; McColl (South Carolina) Fire Department; Cape Fear Critical Care; Scotland Healthcare System; Hamlet Fire Department; Joe’s Towing and Roadside Service.

The scenario for the drill:

Two teenage girls stole a car from a nearby gas station, driving erratically and leading to a high-speed chase with the Hamlet Police Department down U.S. 74 Business and a multiple-car crash with many casualties. There was also white powder to add a decontamination issue.

At the “incident scene,” students were tested on how to properly remove injured patients from a vehicle. Nearby there were multiple inflatable “patients” labeled with injuries and other information so the students could practice triaging and treating multiple casualties.

Between those two stations, the Emergency Services departments from both Richmond and Scotland counties had their diaster trailers set up.

“We’re doing the same thing you are, just on a different level,” Bob Smith, Richmond County Emergency Services director, told the students, describing how 911 telecommunicators have to rely on callers to be their senses to assess the patient.

Smith added that medical patients are often assessed three times: first by 911 personnel; second by EMS; and finally by hospital staff.

The Scotland County emergency trailer differs slightly from the one used by Richmond County. In addition to the communications and operations areas, it also includes a medical section with the ability to treat a patient.

“Anything we can do in the back of an ambulance, we can do here,” said Robert Sampson, Emergency Services Director for Scotland County.

Outside the hospital, the Richmond Community College training ambulance was set up so students could see how patients are treated by EMS. Inside, students had an exercise in how to work with an in-room patient experiencing trauma.

Students were split into eight groups and rotated throughout the stations during the day.

See more photos below.