Providing assistance to victims in the field of combat, erstwhile the waiting time for evacuation is extended – this is the main subject of the workshops conducted in the 15th Mechanized Brigade. Soldiers practiced in winter, on water, day and night. The training was an initiative of paramedics and 1 of the elements of maintaining the readiness of the hangars for Operation Safe Podlasie.
More than 60 soldiers 15 The Giant Mechanized Brigade and 4 Warmia-Masurian Territorial Defence Brigade took part in medical training workshops. The main subject was to supply injured extended medical care in the field of combat and to deal with hypothermia patients. – The initiative of specified workshops came from our paramedics, who last year participated in tactical medical rescue competitions “Mil Med Challenge”, ‘Wintertide’ and in various trainings. They felt that the experience gained there was worth giving to colleagues from the unit – said Major Paweł Tomala from the Gżycka brigade.
The organizers invited officers from the Olsztyn Police Prevention Branch of the Provincial Police Command and the Independent Counter-Terrorist Division of the Olsztyn Police, as well as water rescuers from the Mazury Volunteer Rescue Service (MOPR). The training took place, among others, on Lake Dargin from morning to late afternoon hours. This gave the soldiers the chance to practice their activities besides after dark with limited visibility and in variable weather. “Working in specified conditions requires more effort from a paramedic and increases stress,” said Major Tomala.
The organizers divided the workshops into 3 parts. During the first main task was to supply assistance to victims in the battlefield as waiting for medical evacuation extended. Exercising, knowing that the patient would not be transported rapidly to, for example, a hospital, they had to implement advanced procedures to stabilise his health. Military paramedics improved medical procedures, using, among others, specialized phantoms.
During the second part, soldiers were to aid victims in a situation of danger from the crowd. Their task was to neutralise the threat and safe the scene in specified a way that assistance could be provided to the injured. An crucial component of the exercise was the effective fight against hypothermia and knowing of the principles and tactics of action in a compact division. Police officers who took part in the training were eager to share experience and insights about specified activities. This aspect of the workshop was peculiarly applicable in the context of the operation "Safe Podlasie” in which soldiers of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division, including the hangman, will be active this year. “We are preparing and keeping ourselves ready,” says Major Tomala about future tasks in Podlasie.
The 3rd issue was addressed by MOPR rescuers who trained soldiers from rescue operations in the water in winter conditions. 1 of the scenarios was to support a individual who fell into the water and drowned (specialised phantoms were utilized for the exercise). Soldiers on board the boat provided medical assistance to the injured, utilizing various methods of protection against hypothermia, and then handed it over for evacuation on land. They had at their disposal peculiar and improvised, wheeled armored transporter on the Rosomak chassis, adapted for military medical evacuation, and sanitary vehicles.
During training, it was not only skills but besides teamwork. The script's authors designed it so that a group of respective people practicing allocate many "damaged". During another of the tasks of the medical group, they dealt with the wounded after a drone attack in a shelter imitating the medical stabilisation point. – They had to admit the degree of burns, massive hemorrhages, usage IPMED (individual medical package – ed.) and medical lifeguard equipment, utilizing specialized devices to collect information about vital parameters – mentions the sergeant. Paweł Kucharevich, supervising training at the medical stabilisation point. For example, patients in hypothermia went into the shelter erstwhile the time of their medical evacuation was prolonged.
However, during the workshops it was not only about practicing skills in the field of medicine. – It was besides crucial to make good communication between practitioners. This was supported by the practice scenario, during which respective rescue groups had to deal with the injured about an hour. Medicalians shared equipment if necessary, it was crucial to divide roles and appoint the right person, more or little experienced, to execute the given activity," concludes elder Sergeant Kucharewicz.
