Training

Living and working in such an isolated area of the world requires us to be very self-reliant. There are no emergency services down here and in the event of a fire or medical emergency we may all be called upon to assist. All winterers recieve breathing apparatus training, entering a burning building would be a last resort but knowing how to use the BA gear would allow us to search for missing people in a smoke filled room. Birgit and I had the 1st stage of our BA training which was promptly put to use during a Major Incident Plan scenario the following week. The MIP involves the whole base and this year the scenario was a fire in one of the old buildings with seriously injured people trapped inside. The makeup and the acting was very convincing and we even had fake smoke. Everyone has a part to play be it controlling radio communications, using vehicles as ambulances, re-arranging the gym into a make-shift treatment area, working out methods of evacuation (flights etc) or making the much needed cups of tea.

A few of us also recieved some refresher training in the use of chainsaws this week. When the sea ice forms we'll need to use the chainsaw to cut holes for diving and CTDing. The chainsaw we use is an absolute beast with a 6 foot bar!! Next week 'Doc School' begins and shall continue though winter. Ali our doc shall, over the course of the next few months, be teaching us all manner of advanced first aid including plastering, bandaging, stretchering, inserting venflons (tubes into veins for introducing fluids / medication) and stitching. All good fun but hopefully skills which will not be required.