Endeavour Energy undertake THREAT critical care training

When faced with a direct threat to life, moments matter. The decisions you make in periods of direct threat can mean the difference between life and death. It is periods such as this that CareFlight’s THREAT Course is aimed at and assists individuals in making the right decision at the right time in the continuum of care.

THREAT, short for Tactical and Hostile Response, Emergency Access and Treatment, is aimed at anyone who works (or plays) in high threat environments – law enforcement officers, emergency services personnel, shooters / hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, forestry workers – people who may find themselves presented with a colleague whose life is in danger due to blood loss, breathing difficulties or airway obstruction if things were to go horribly wrong. This is the environment that members of Endeavour Energy’s remote workforce may be presented with when travelling through remote locations in country areas.

Members of CareFlight’s education team presented an 8 hour THREAT workshop to staff from Endeavour Energy on Thursday 16 February 2017 at CareFlight’s Westmead Base. Using the guidelines produced by the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care as the basis of the THREAT course the instructors – each a critical care nurse or paramedic with previous experiences ranging from army special forces to immigration detention centres – presented the participants with a range of theory content, skill stations and realistic scenarios utilising lifelike training aids in order to hone the participants’ decision making skills. The focus of the training? Saving lives when seconds matter.

“This was the most realistic training our crews have experienced,” said Matt Thornton, Assessor / Trainer from Endeavour Energy. “The scenarios were incredibly realistic and reflected the environments that our workers travel to.”

“Knowing how to ‘stop the bleed’ is a vital skill that everyone must learn and practice,” says Melanie Brown, lead instructor and coordinator of CareFlight’s THREAT course. “You just need to look at recent events, both here in Australia and abroad. The ability to access appropriate medical devices and, when not available, to improvise items such as an arterial tourniquet can make the difference between life and death.”

More information on THREAT and CareFlight’s other courses can be found here.