REDLANDS State Emergency Services volunteers have tested their rescue skills in scenarios that could occur during a severe tropical cyclone and earthquake.
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The Redlands team consisting of six competitors, a reserve and a manager took on teams from Warwick, Townsville, Logan, Rockhampton, Cairns and Bundaberg at the SES State Disaster Rescue Challenge at Townsville on the weekend.
Redlands came second, behind Townsville.
Team leader Corey Armstrong said they were shocked and privileged to be announced as the second best rescue team in Queensland.
“We felt as though we did well, but most certainly did not expect this accomplishment,” he said.
“We are extremely humbled by this achievement.”
Mr Armstrong said the seven scenarios included finding and attending to two people trapped in a large in-ground water tank, a man whose hands were caught in machinery in an old rail yard and a search for missing fishermen.
“We set out to commence our search, which ended up on a rocky weir,” he said.
“We quickly located the voice of one casualty and sent two rescuers straight to him whilst we continued on with our search of the area.
“We shortly after also located the upturned boat, which was leaking fuel and also had a second casualty unconscious and trapped inside.”
Mr Armstrong said, in that scenario, they contained the fuel spill with sand, stretchered one person out and rescued the other fisherman who had a fractured leg and dislocated shoulder.
In another scenario the team was met with an explosion and a frightened person yelling for help.
“After isolating power to the scene, we quickly established that this was a mass casualty incident, where the number of casualties outweighed the number of rescuers,” Mr Armstrong said.
The team also had to rescue people from storm water drains and help someone trapped under a heavy vehicle with an object in their leg.
“We used hacksaws to cut through the embedded object above the casualties leg, cooling it with water at the same time.
“We gently bandaged the casualty’s leg and then used some lifting devices to slowly lift the vehicle off of the casualty so we could access and remove them to safety,” Mr Armstrong said.
The SES State Disaster Rescue Challenge is held every two years and tests teams on their training, team work, leadership and clear thinking.
