AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Fire Rescue (AFR) debuted a new mobile medical training lab, built into a refurbished ambulance. The lab will travel to all 17 AFR stations, giving paramedics real world training experience.
The refurbished ambulance, called the Sim Lab, carries around $90,000 worth of equipment. First-responders can train on a simulation mannequin and use a monitor and gurney, which the department said they received through corporate donations, grants and strategic purchases.
"You want to train exactly as you would do in real life," said Dr. Eric Hill, AFR's medical director. "The more realistic you can make a training scenario, the better it is.”
Hill said the lab's mobility is critical, since they can train and certify first responders in more rural areas without taking them away from the field for extended periods of time. Falck Rocky Mountain crews donated the ambulance to AFR.
"We have over 400 online firefighters in rural fire rescue, and they all have to do skill maintenance, education, EMS repetitions," Hill said.
AFR said the lab is part of their efforts to revamp their emergency response procedures.
"AFR re-established its Community Medical Branch in fall 2023," AFR said. "The branch is led by senior officers and healthcare professionals who are charged with overseeing policies, procedures and protocols in how AFR delivers medical care to the community, as well as improving quality assurance and bringing best practices, education and training for AFR crew members, all of whom are emergency medical personnel."
The lab's cramped space gives paramedics a real-world experience. Crews respond to the scene where a mannequin is experiencing a heart attack. They are tasked with monitoring and properly treating heart rates through the use of tactics such as CPR. An instructor simulates a patient's verbal responses to treatments through a transmitter in another room.
Once the initial treatment is completed, crews load the dummy into the ambulance for transport.
The mobile lab went into service in May. AFR said it has been used in eight training sessions and is housed at Station 7.
Hill said they hope to add more equipment in the future, including video cameras in the back of the ambulance to help paramedics review their training sessions.
