Why work with victims in trainings?
In reality, emergency responders have to deal with victims. Therefore it is extremely important that they can train in a safe and pleasant way with situations in which victims play an important role. Only in this way can emergency workers prepare themselves properly for practice and become and remain competent.
At Fireware, we are always looking for ways to make training as realistic as possible. Fire shouldn't just be seen, it should be smelled. And if possible, experience the heat. We do our best to stimulate all the senses, because the more realistic the experience, the better the training.
With victims, however, this is different. That's what makes this topic of the April blog so special. Working with victims is about more than just realism; there are many other aspects involved. In this newsletter, we explore these in more detail.
First, we'll discuss why and when you can use victims in training. Then we'll look at different ways to stage a victim: do you choose a puppet, a real person or perhaps another method? Finally, we will discuss the pitfalls to consider when using victims.
The Added Value of Using Victims
Whether it is meaningful to use victims during an exercise depends entirely on the learning objectives. In some training sessions, it enriches the exercise, while in others it can undermine the realism of the training. When a learning objective does not specifically call for the use of a victim, FireWare recommends not using one.
A victim can be a valuable addition when:
- A task involving a person needs to be trained.
- The scenario requires additional depth.
- Dilemmas need to be created.
- The situation needs to be experienced as realistically as possible, including real victims.
Staging Victims
At FireWare, we always think about the best way to stage a victim. When a training requires high realism, using a victim is approached differently than when the focus is more on learning a “standard” action.
Training Manikins
For example, we have developed the Silver Fire Manikin. With this training manikin, one can learn the procedure of using a fire blanket to extinguish a person. The manikin is recognizable as a human but does not make any cries of pain. It is not a person that would remind you of someone, as there are no facial expressions. The training manikin is specifically designed so that people can focus on the action rather than the emotion behind it.
Another great example is the difference between the Ruth Lee Water Rescue MOB Manikins and the Ruth Lee Advanced Water Rescue Manikin. The MOB manikin is designed for practicing water rescues. The manikin is recognizable as a human and behaves like an unconscious person, but it will evoke less strong emotion in the trainees performing the training.
The Advanced Water Rescue Manikin is a highly realistic training manikin. Like the MOB manikin, it is used for practicing water rescues. However, the experience of rescuing this manikin is very different from that of the MOB manikin. Due to its hyperrealism, it allows for immediate actions like CPR and chest compressions. The Advanced Water Rescue Manikin is designed to give people the impression they are working with a real person. It adds an extra dimension to the training that is much broader than just the action of safely bringing someone to shore.
You can give a training manikin more personality by dressing it or using accessories. A face mask can transform the manikin into a different person in any scenario. Or consider using the Pregnancy Simulation Vest for added depth. Should the emergency responder react differently because it’s a pregnant woman, or not?
FireWare is the dealer for Ruth Lee training manikins. Ruth Lee specializes in creating training manikins for every situation and every sector. Whether it’s for water rescues or manikins that can withstand the heat of real fire, Ruth Lee makes it. Be sure to check out the wide range of training manikins that we can offer at FireWare.
Real people
A victim doesn't always have to be a manikin, either. Sometimes, on the contrary, training requires a real person. Take, for example, learning how to apply a bandage during a BHV course. Then it is very nice if the "victim" can tell you whether the bandage is too tight or too loose. Here the choice to work with real people is logical and right.
No matter how realistic and "alive" you make a doll, in terms of action it will always feel like an unconscious person. This can be a great advantage if it fits your learning objectives, but there will also be learning objectives that call for an active and living person.
Consider an evacuation situation where people are pacing back and forth, screaming or panicking. People with injuries - but who are conscious - can provide a student or trainee with valuable information. It also helps to better prepare them for the emotional side of the job.
If realistic training fits the learning objective, there is nothing more realistic than a real person. Sometimes you can use other participants in the training or course for this purpose. In other cases, however, it is more effective to use people from outside the group who have been specially trained to act as victims.
In these types of situations, the choice is often made to use a Casualty Actor. A "Casualty Actor" is someone trained to mimic realistic injuries, illnesses or behaviors. They can be used on a large scale in disaster training, for example, but also on a small scale such as a first aid course.
The power of suggestion
One quickly thinks of a victim as a doll or real person. However, the mere suggestion of victims can make a very impressive picture. It is not always necessary to use actual victims - manikins or LOTUS victims - to create a realistic scenario. In some situations, it is more realistic to suggest the presence of people. Especially in exercises at the leadership level such as for commanding officers, (chief) officers on duty or COPI teams.
A row of bicycles at the entrance of a building can immediately give the impression that people are (or were) inside. Items of clothing, bags, coffee cups or children's toys lying around raise questions such as: where did people go? Did they flee? Are they still running around somewhere? Is everyone safe?
This method of staging helps paint a situation picture without the need for actual victims to be present. In strategic or tactical training, the focus is on decision-making, communication and building overview. This makes it a powerful and effective tool. It prevents distractions but maintains pressure and realism.
In short: victims do not always have to be visible to make an impact. Suggestion can sometimes be just as powerful as presence.
Working with Sound
Sound can make a training dynamic or create dilemmas. You see a fire and hear a victim calling for help. With both the Soundbox V3 and the Pandora’s Box V4 and Pandora’s Box 230, you can bring a victim into the scenario without using a mannequin or real person. For example, imagine hearing cries for help behind a closed door.
Pitfalls of Working with Victims
As you can see, there are many different ways to stage a victim. And we are sure that we haven’t mentioned all the options in this blog. One of the most important things, in our opinion, is to be creative but also pay close attention to whether the training aligns with your learning objectives.
This brings us to the pitfalls of working with victims in training. The first pitfall is important for every training: look at what the goal is. What do you want the trainees to be able to do at the end of the training, and focus on that. If you want a trainee to be able to extinguish a bin fire by the end of the course, adding a burning person right away might be too much. Sometimes we try to create a large scenario too quickly. Always ask yourself: is it realistic that there are "victims" in this scenario? In many cases, less is more.
Another important pitfall, specifically for training with 'victims', is that you never know exactly what participants have experienced. It’s crucial to communicate well with the group for whom the training is intended. Think about what is or isn’t appropriate. A Silver Fire Manikin, impersonal and with less emotion due to the absence of facial expressions, is a very different story from a hyperrealistic child at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Do not assume that, as a trainer, you can decide for others what they can or cannot handle. For some, a crying baby in a scenario might have a much stronger impact than for others. Always make sure that the victim is appropriate for the scenario and the group you are working with.
And finally, think carefully about how you stage a victim. If you want a space where people can feel the panic, using LOTUS victims will align better with that scenario than using unconscious, impersonal training manikins.
If the goal is for trainees to perform an action for the first time where things might go wrong, such as carrying an unconscious person, then it's better to use a Ruth Lee Duty Range Manikin instead of "your colleague." Not only is it safer for "the victim," but it gives people the space to learn in a safe environment.
Finally
One of the most important things FireWare wants to share with you is: always focus on the learning objective and ensure that the scenario aligns with it. That way, you'll always be on the right track. "Victims" are an excellent tool to add depth to a training and prepare participants for reality, enabling them to become and remain professionally competent.
There are many different ways to stage victims within a training or scenario. If you'd like us to brainstorm with you, feel free to contact us! We're happy to assist you, from helping to design a training to advising on which training manikins are suitable for you._
