HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) Education program at Hutchinson Community College will be conducting their ninth annual two-day Paramedic Field Operations training on June 10 and 11, 2014.

The exercises will be held at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. While the Operations are in progress, the Fairgrounds will be closed to public access.

HCC Field Operations is an opportunity for paramedic students across Kansas to come together with local and out-of-state Agencies to do scenario-based training and networking.

The equipment, facilities, budget, staff and students allow HCC to invite other paramedic students to come spend time with them in a scenario based environment that prepares them for field internship and their life as a paramedic.

All of this enhances the educational effectiveness of the students, gives an avenue to EMS agencies and professional organizations who wish to recruit Kansas paramedics, and fulfills, in part, the mission to successfully serve communities of interest.

Current HCC paramedic students are joined by students from Barton CC, Coffeyville CC, and Cowley Colleges. The purpose for this event is to provide these paramedic students with an opportunity to practice their skills in real time with all the bells and whistles through multiple realistic medical and trauma scenarios.

Top priority is given to realism, safety, education and integrity. Students will be required to evaluate and address a multitude of complaints, injuries and illnesses while also functioning as a cooperative EMS team member.

The students’ experience will begin with a real 911 mobile communications center requesting one of the responding crews (ambulance with 2-3 students & a mentor). Actual professional dispatchers have volunteered to field the calls for the event.

The crew will arrive at one of the simulated scenario scenes. The scene might include a car accident, chemical spill, heart attack, domestic disturbance, diabetes, child birth and other types of situations. The crews will provide patient care, transport patients to an Emergency Department or hand off the patient to real-life flight medical crews. The call is completed by restocking the ambulance with supplies needed for the next call.

More than 55 local and out of State Public Safety Agencies have participated in this event in the past, and more than 80 students are expected to participate in this year’s Operations.