Edmonton firefighters returning to Ukraine to provide training
Posted July 31, 2023 4:23 pm.
Last Updated July 31, 2023 7:25 pm.
Three Edmonton firefighters are headed back to Ukraine to teach first responders a life-saving medical course.
Earlier this year, a team of Edmonton firefighters went to Ukraine to help teach medics how to deal with patients in a combat setting.
The 12-day trip was organized by Firefighter Aid Ukraine.
Now a small team is returning, to continue those lessons in a modified version of the NATO standard Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) course.
“The demand for the course has been so great in Ukraine that they asked us to come back, and that’s what this team is going to do. They will teach 24 firefighters over five days,” explained Nikki Booth, the communications manager for Firefighter Aid Ukraine.
“What they are teaching are basically life-saving measures. They will be teaching them how to apply tourniquets properly, wound packing, how to deal with hemorrhagic injuries, and making sure that nobody suffers from hypothermia. I mean it all sounds very basic but these skills are really essential. And what we do is we do a train-the-trainer course, so everybody that we train when we go over there, is then able to teach others in their field.”
Roughly 70 first responders will be taught the course.
“This specialized training will focus on hemorrhage control with advanced techniques, blast injuries, airway management, treatment of thoracic injuries including needle decompression, hypothermia prevention in patients suffering from traumatic injuries, and basic wound care. It is aimed at addressing the most immediate emergency care needs that first responders are dealing with,” said Kevin Royle, volunteer Board director for FFAU in a statement.
“Individuals who have not performed in an emergency responder role previously, have now taken on that role in Ukraine. As such, they do not have this kind of training and it is imperative for them to have it, given the situations they are dealing with in their roles. We are fortunate in North America that our firefighters are medically trained and can provide this level of support.”
In addition, Alberta K9 will be sending over 3-year-old Belgian Malinois Torch for another trip in Ukraine.
- READ MORE: Alberta K9 headed to Ukraine
The bomb-sniffing dog from Red Deer is specifically trained for public safety patrol and the detection of explosive material.
“Torch is still working through his final training, so the plan is to still take him in September when he’s completed all of his training. So that will be a separate trip we have going,” said Booth.
The team will leave for Ukraine on Tuesday from the Edmonton International Airport.
