Paramedic and Nursing students take part in major incident training exercise

Dozens of Paramedic Science and Nursing students at the University of Huddersfield got a taste of their future professions by taking part in a major incident simulation alongside the emergency services.

Around 60 students took part in the training exercise, which saw them help tackle a scenario designed to resemble the aftermath of a 15-vehicle road traffic collision on a busy A-road.

The student paramedics, nurses and course tutors were joined by emergency services staff from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), Yorkshire Ambulance Service, The Yorkshire Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Yorkshire Air Ambulance staff and West Yorkshire Police, for the simulation which was held at the WYFRS headquarters in Birkenshaw.

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Students were able to gain valuable hands-on experience by putting their learning into practice during the realistic event. First year students were called upon to role-play as casualties alongside medical mannequins, while students in years two and three were able to complete a set of learning objectives, including practising triage, making clinical assessments and interventions and experiencing the Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme (JESIP) principles first-hand.

Once the casualties were extracted from the vehicles, a total of 31 patients were treated during the exercise at makeshift hospitals set up within a hangar at the WYFRS headquarters. The patients were suffering from simulated injuries ranging from burns, lacerations and broken bones, among others.

The major incident simulation was the largest event for the University since it began partnering with WYFRS to hold such training three years ago.

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Jenny Dobbin, Simulation Lead for Paramedic Science at the University, commented: “We are incredibly proud of the partnership we have formed in the past three years with WYFRS and YAS within our locality. We try to ensure that our students are exposed to incidents which they may not encounter on placement in preparation for their future careers on frontline ambulances.  I'd like to thank everyone involved, especially the support of Watch Manager Sean Mitton and District Commander Dale Gardiner, who were instrumental in the organisation of this simulation.”

Ashley Scaife, Course Leader BSc(Hons) Paramedic Science, added: “The simulation provided to the students allows for the recognition and exposure to major incidents that historically cannot always be guaranteed on placement. This allows students to align with the most recently updated Health and Care Professions Council regulations, in which they are required to manage and recognise the requirements needed for a major incident. This experience also allows them to work collaboratively with other emergency services and agencies in which the JESIP principles can be put into practice.

Dale Gardiner, Kirklees District Commander at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, commented: “WYFRS recognises the importance of collaboration to create a significant impact on the communities of Kirklees. The co-operation and trust between our organisations has been achieved over several years.

“The coordinated training has played an important part in building this relationship and improving each organisation's understanding of how we work together proactively and reactively. This was reinforced at Exercise Whiskerban. The exercise tested all services' internal procedures and highlighted the importance of the JESIP principles at a major incident.

“We look forward to continuing this close working relationship.”

The University is deeply committed to advancing simulation-based learning as a cornerstone of innovative education within the School of Health and Human Sciences, which contains the Department of Allied Health Professions, Sport and Exercise and the Department of Nursing. Through cutting-edge facilities and interdisciplinary collaboration, students and learners are empowered to develop clinical confidence and critical thinking in immersive, real-world scenarios.

These exercises are a clear example of that commitment, with students and learners actively engaged in simulation-based experiences that foster professional growth and enhance collaborative practice across disciplines.

Previous training exercises include mock-ups of an explosion in an industrial setting and a traffic accident, both held on Campus, and a mock-up scenario of a passenger plane skidding off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport.

In addition to being a fantastic learning opportunity for the students, it is a requirement of the Health and Care Professions Council that all Paramedics practice major incidents annually.