PARAMEDICS at South Western Ambulance Service (SWASFT) will be undergoing new training for major emergencies involving a large number of casualties.

Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC) will be working with the service to provide the online training for paramedics currently working on the frontline.

The course will enhance the disaster management skills of paramedics with specialist software to help simulate major disasters like a hazardous chemical incident, terrorist bomb or firearms attack.

It will help commanders organise ambulance crews and NHS assets sent to the scene to help triage and treat patients affected, and the public at large, quickly.

Robert Flute, Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR) Command Training Advisor, said: “The new online aspect of our command courses will greatly benefit SWASFT’s wider vision for the ambulance service as a regional centre of best practice in incident command training.

“Working with Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre can only enhance the standing of our courses which are seen as best practice. SWASFT is the first ambulance trust to offer this unique partnership.”

SWASFT already has a robust Incident Response Plan in place to deal with major incidents of this kind, but this online training will help paramedics in command practice their resilience skills in advance so they are ready to deal with a large amount of casualties and respond appropriately.

They will learn how to manage inter-agency meetings and support medical and other responders who may assist SWASFT at a major incident.

The online training will “aid retention and enhance knowledge in between physical attendance at a command course”, SWASFT says.

BUDMC’s e-learning platform will support all of the ambulance service’s command courses for operational on scene commanders, and for those managing the wider tactical Trust response.

It will also benefit the senior managers overseeing the strategic response and recovery from any disruptive challenge.

“This online platform will allow our commanders to have access to a wide range of online training materials including simulated command groups, health advice and questions in such a way as is easily accessible from any device,” SWASFT said.

“The software can issue certificates to students who successfully complete a given module of the online training.”