| International Youth Festival (Part 2 of 2) (11th March 2010) |
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We awoke the next morning and could not believe that we had made it to competition day which happened to be Australia Day. We were excited but nervous at the same time. Isolation began at 7:00am; as well as it being International Competitions it was New Zealand’s National Competitions so isolation was very full and busy. The Australian Contingent consisted of four of us: from left, Sarah McLaughlin (Cadet Band NT), Heidi Starr NSW, Jess Armstrong ACT, Michael Smith VIC. The competitions New Zealand hosted were very different to the Australian Nationals and Northern Territory competitions. First, the Australian Contingent competed as a team of four.
An ambulance was called straight away and we treated our casualties accordingly. Part of the scene was to load the casualties into the ambulance as well as handover to the Ambulance Officer. Once the scene was done everyone clapped and cheered but instead of being free we went back into isolation for further tests. Minutes after being back in isolation Jess and I were called out for a pairs test. We were taken to a very large tower and started to worry, both of us admitting to each other heights weren’t our thing. We walked into the tower with very loud machines running and a faint scream. We could still hear a scream coming from above but could not really see a metre above our heads because it was quite dark. We looked at each other as if to say I am not going up there but one of us had to. I proceeded to climb the ladder, it seemed like l climbed for ages, l was daunted, each time l reached for the next rail the ladder moved against the wall. As I got higher l could see a man hanging from the ladder with a shoulder injury. I stepped onto a small platform and supported him whilst supporting myself so l could safely get the man down onto the platform. After doing observations and a secondary survey I realised I had forgotten a first aid kit. I yelled down to Jess l needed a triangular, Jess got one to me and l applied a St John sling, time was called, I realised I had the challenge of getting back down the ladder (when l was explaining to Mum over the phone regarding our pairs scene she asked me whether a safety harness was supplied and more importantly was l wearing one? Oops! Every safety policy was broken and l should not have climbed the ladder). The other pair Michael and Heidi had to go to a plane crash to retrieve one patient from the plane and treat another for severe bleeding. Back into the cool isolation with one test to go. After lunch we were called out to an individual test. Jess received an asthma attack, Heidi received an allergic reaction, Michael received an epileptic fit and I walked on scene to a manikin on a quad bike. I called an ambulance, did my initial tests, pulled him off the bike (all in two minutes) and started my 13 minute CPR. It was very tiring and I was glad when it ended. The day was over, we were free and no longer in a prison!! Everyone anxiously waited for the all important results Overall Australia came 5th. We were happy with the results considering most of us had only just met and did not have the opportunity to train together. Although it was a long and tiring day we headed back to our rooms to change into our Superhero costumes and headed out for dinner and theme night which came to a close at midnight, although a few of us didn’t make it much past 9.00pm, just a tad tired after what had been a long and exhausting day. Article by Read more- International Youth Festival update (28th January 2010)- International Youth Festival (Part 1 of 2) - NT Cadet Ambassador |
We walked onto the scene to a smoky car where there were three patients and two bystanders. One patient was unconscious with a bleed to the head. (He had been hit by the car). Another patient had a dislocated knee and a security guard trying to put out the fire had burns to her hands and arms.
We checked for danger and proceeded to enter a very small door where a man lay at the bottom of the tower unconscious. After checking his response and shouting at him over the noise he woke, he was very disorientated and confused.
