Emergency services personnel remove a victim from a vehicle.
A crash victim is comforted and treated.
THOSE people living near the Northam swimming pool would have been very surprise last week when an ‘accident scene’ greeted them.
In fact, 40 volunteer and career paramedics from St John Ambulance across eight Wheatbelt centres, 11 volunteers from Fire and Rescue Service of Northam and four volunteers from the Clackline-Muresk Bushfire Brigade took part in a training exercise involving two cars and a people mover.
For more than two hours the combined efforts of 46 emergency personnel rescued a well-rehearsed group of 11 casualties and three deceased occupants from all three vehicles.
Jaws of Life, oxygen resuscitation and even the landing zone for the RAC Rescue 65 helicopter were planned into the event.
Volunteers and paramedics managed triage, on-scene treatment and a casualty clearing post as all the fire brigade volunteers managed the seemingly long extrication of all the victims on the scene.
This was yet another example of how all well-trained volunteers come together for their community.
All the hard work came from those involved in the planning like volunteer Garrick Doye and professional paramedics Drew Richardson and Peter Hewat.
Volunteering inquiries for St John Ambulance can be made by calling 1800 069 393 and for FESA and Northam Bushfire Services 9690 2300