ABBOTS BROMLEY CFR ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 12 FEBRUARY 2005

ABBOTS BROMLEY CFR ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
12 FEBRUARY 2005

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Saturday 12th February 2005 saw the Abbots Bromley Community First Responder (CFR) Scheme undertake their assessment exercise at the culmination of an extensive training period. Designed to demonstrate to both the Trust and scheme members that the team were ready in every respect to "go live", the assessment exercise also demonstrated the complete spectrum of incidents and responses that might be encountered in the local community. Exercise scenarios set in open land, in local premises, in farms, and at the Blithfield Reservoir represented a few of the incident locations in which a wide range of clinical protocols were practiced.

Abbots Bromley is situated in a wonderful part of Staffordshire.	The response time Isochrone for Abbots Bromley	Shortly after 0900 elements of the Trust arrived at the local Village Hall...	...to be briefed on the scenarios that would be used to assess the group.
.Group members then assembled for their big day...	...and the Chief Executive explained the aims and how the exercise would be run	The CFRs were organised into 4 groups, each with a responder car. One of the groups used the scheme 4 x 4....	..whilst others used a Trust vehicle. All had the chance to take the vehicles for a practice drive.
There was time for a last group photo before the day's work started.	A call for help to the School saw first responders quickly on scene....	...followed sometime later by a Community Paramedic Officer (CPO).	Exercise scenarios included a number of local representative locations to which CFRs might be asked to respond. A number of these locations are shown in these pictures. The scenarios practiced the initial response and actions by the CFRs, the follow up by and handover to a Trust CPO and the arrival, where necessary, of the ambulance crew.
.Down at the Bagot Arms a customer was not feeling too well (must be the beer!!)...	.. a CPO was soon on hand to assist the CFRs and provide more definitive care.	Meanwhile, further up the road at Greenbank a patient was soon on her way to hospital.	At Willowdene and a call for help to someone who had been scalded in the kitchen saw CFRs quickly on scene...
..the patient's mother was calmed down...	...and the patient safely taken to hospital.	.At the end of each scenario there was an opportunity...	...for a debrief between CFRs, the assessor and the CPO...
..and then time for a hot drink before the next job.	A call to a collapse at Town End Farm saw CFRs on scene in minutes....	....followed quickly by a CPO.	Meanwhile an incident on the banks of Blithfield Reservoir required...
....a fast response from the CFRs who were quickly on scene...	..followed by the CPO in a Landrover...	....and they were able to evacuate the casualty to the nearest ambulance.	At Little Dunstall Farm things didn't look good in the hay shed....
...and further help was called for...	...in the form of the CPO who was arrived on scene soon...	...to organise the successful evacuation of the patient to hospital.	Later that afternoon CFRs responded to an incident at Buttermilk Hill
Two forestry workers had been hit by a falling tree whilst working at the bottom of a steep gulley.	CFRs, CPOs and ambulance crews combined to first treat and then extricate both casualties...	..up the sides of the steep, wet and slippery gully...	...and into the warmth of the waiting ambulance.
After an exhausting but enjoyable day the Abbots Bromley CFR group were assessed as ready to become operational. Our thanks go to all the volunteer CFRs, their support team, their families that allowed them to train, and the many behind the scenes people who made the scheme possible. Well done to everyone on the hard work achieved over the past months.