IR Practices Techniques for Patient Rigging, Packaging & Transport

On Wednesday evening, October 27^th, Indian River and Mid Sussex Rescue Squad jointly coordinated training evolutions to familiarize first responders with patient packaging methods and safety measures as well as patient extrication measures from elevated areas or hard to access parapet wall areas.

It is widely known that patient access, packaging, and transport can be difficult and cumbersome as well as tricky when access and egress composition change from environment to environment. Training with patient packaging, transport techniques, equipment and tools are critical in enhancing knowledge, skills, abilities when mitigating these types of incident responses.

In areas that are narrow or have many obstructions, it may be best to utilize vertical configurations for patient movement.  Stokes baskets can be rigged for vertical or horizontal extrication situations. In many instances the terrain, departure methods, and landing areas will ultimately determine the best method to remove the patient successfully.

Stokes baskets are considered the tool of choice for evaluated patient transport when you’re not operating in a confined space or an area that requires negotiating tight turns. This is because the stokes basket has a solid railing to grab, many rescuers can assist with movement over uneven terrain; however, stokes baskets don’t bend around corners.  Therefore, other patient-packaging devices may allow for some better movement and bending in tight or hard to access areas.

Indian River’s first responders were split into teams which were assigned to different stations to review these designated objectives.  These team exercises included:  patient backboarding and packaging; patient packaging in stokes baskets and movement from elevated surfaces; patient extrication activities from elevated areas; apparatus training for pending driver certification; and overall incident size up and debriefing topics.

Illustrated herewith are photographs that highlight these training activities.