Disaster training and exercising

Education and training programs on emergency management include:

HMIMMS

The Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support (HMIMMS) course is the leading course for hospital staff responsible for planning, training and managing aspects of a major incident from a hospital perspective.

The one day Team Provider course is aimed at all hospital staff who may find themselves involved with an incident in a hospital setting.

It consists of:

  • one day face-to-face learning program
  • workshops
  • lectures
  • table top exercises

HMIMMS is an accredited course with Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) United Kingdom, and is widely accepted internationally. The program was introduced to Australia in 2015, and is now being rolled out nationwide. It is a new addition to the education and training packages available through the SA Health Emergency Management Unit.

For more information please refer to the HMIMMS Team Member Fact Sheet (PDF 51KB).

To enrol, please save and complete the HMIMMS application form (DOC 52KB), and submit to your relative LHN representative, as detailed in the fact sheet.

EmergoTrain

The EmergoTrain system was developed by the Centre for Research and Education in Disaster Medicine (KMC) at the University of Linkoping, Sweden. The system is a real-time educational tool for training and testing preparedness for major accidents and disasters, using the principle of ‘learning by doing’. It involves magnetic symbols representing patients, staff and resources, movable markers indicating priority and treatment and a large patient bank with various injuries.

A protocol has been developed to identify time taken for various clinical interventions and likely outcomes. Real-time management of the incident is a major focus of the EmergoTrain System, which is used extensively in Australia and worldwide.

Scenarios available include mechanical injuries, such as aeroplane, bus and train accidents, building collapse, explosion, terrorist attacks, riot and armed conflicts, burns, hypothermia, shipping accidents, hazardous materials, irradiation, bio-terrorism or combinations of these.

MIMMS

The Major Incident Medical Management and Support (MIMMS) course teaches a systematic and practical approach to field medical management at disasters. The approach can be applied to any major incident.

MIMMS Australia has been developed from the United Kingdom MIMMS Course and adapted to suit the needs of the Australian disaster management approach.

The emphasis is on scene management and pre-hospital care, learned through:

  • structured lectures
  • table-top exercises
  • practical radio communication exercises
  • casualty triage exercises.

The course is open to all medical practitioners, nurses, paramedics, ambulance officers, emergency managers and emergency first responders.

The course runs over three consecutive days. It is an accredited course with Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) United Kingdom, and is widely accepted internationally. The course is competency-based and participants are tested in the practical application of the skills taught.

Seasonal preparedness

SA Health recognises the importance of providing up to date, local and relevant education and information for staff working in Local Health Networks (LHNs), especially hospitals at risk of bushfire.

Whilst planning and preparedness measures are implemented in all regional Local Health Network sites each year, it’s important for staff to be familiar with their own plans and facilities as well as having an understanding of the arrangements of local emergency services who may be working with them or providing assistance during emergencies. In order to enable these sessions strong local relationships between the LHN Executive & staff and regional emergency services commanders, including Metropolitan Fire Service (where relevant) Country Fire Service, South Australian Police, State Emergency Service and SA Ambulance Service are required.

With local emergency services leaders providing input on their own organisations preparedness and response activities, it is hoped to develop broader understanding of each agencies responsibilities and capabilities and to reinforce local preparedness and resilience.

Contact

For further information, please contact the Disaster Management Branch:

Email: Health.DisasterManagementBranch@sa.gov.au

Telephone: (08) 7425 5932 during business hours

Address: Level 2, Citi Centre Building, Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide 5000.