Middle Row: Tom Dorscher (Oakes Ambulance Service), Christy Guthmiller (Barnes County Ambulance Service), Andrea Suhr (Barnes County Ambulance Service), Nichole Fick (Barnes County Ambulance Service), Anna McClean (Edgeley Ambulance Service), Amy Andel (Cooperstown Ambulance Service), Darren Schemionek (Spirit Lake Ambulance Service)
Front Row: Kelli Just (Community Volunteer EMS of LaMoure/Edgeley Ambulance Service), Jessica Duffy (Community Volunteer EMS of LaMoure), Sheri Weight (Community Volunteer EMS of LaMoure), Abby Wald (Community Volunteer EMS of LaMoure), Paige Dorscher (Community Volunteer EMS of LaMoure/Oakes Ambulance Service/Jamestown Ambulance Service), Ava Wille (Barnes County Ambulance Service/Jamestown Ambulance Service) (Photo Submitted)
LAMOURE, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – EMS providers from across North Dakota recently gathered at the Emergency Response Center in LaMoure to participate in hands-on training with Sanford’s EMS education staff. The training followed the successful completion of an eight-hour online Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course, funded through a grant from the Center for Rural Health awarded to the North Dakota EMS Association.
During the in-person session, participants practiced critical emergency response skills, including airway management, spinal immobilization, helmet removal, rapid extrication, bleeding control, pelvis stabilization, and traction splinting. These hands-on exercises are designed to reinforce the knowledge gained from the PHTLS course, ensuring EMS providers are prepared to deliver effective trauma care in the field.
The PHTLS program, developed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), is recognized globally as the leading continuing education program for pre-hospital emergency trauma care. A media release states that the mission of PHTLS is to enhance trauma patient care by promoting excellence among all pre-hospital care providers. The training aims to improve the quality of trauma care while reducing mortality rates.
This training opportunity reflects ongoing efforts to equip EMS personnel with the tools and knowledge necessary to respond to trauma emergencies effectively, especially in rural areas where access to specialized medical services may be limited.