Hunting Camp Tests N.C. EMS Teams

Oct. 03--GREENSBORO -- A hunter stumbles into camp. He is shot in the right leg and screaming, "Help me, I'm bleeding!"

The paramedics, who had been attending to another injured hunter, rush over, ask what happened and start cutting his pants.

Hovering over them are a couple of observers holding clipboards.

The "hunting camp" actually was a sheet of plastic turf on the floor in the Guilford Ballroom of the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The wilderness was a row of potted trees and the hunters? Role players who were perfectly healthy. And the paramedics were there competing in the 21st annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition.

The event was part of the North Carolina Office of EMS' Emergency Medicine Today Conference, which runs through Wednesday.

Six teams took part on Sunday -- winners of five regional competitions across the state, plus last year's winner, the Surry County EMS. Altogether, about 35 teams from 24 counties competed in the preliminary rounds this year.

"These guys, if you had to have your pick, would be like the A-Team," said Jim Jones, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. "It's the best of the best."

The teams, which were called out one at a time and were sequestered when they weren't competing, reacted to a 13-minute mock scenario. They were judged on, among other things, their communication, professionalism and patient rapport.

This year's scenario, designed by emergency physician Jason Stopyra, involved a series of hunting accidents. Paramedics were called to treat a hunter who fell from a tree after suffering from an allergic reaction. About halfway through the scenario, a gunshot was heard, and a minute later another hunter, leaning on a friend for support, limped into the camp. Then the gunshot-wounded hunter's friend had a heart attack.

Paramedics broke out their supplies and administered treatment, though CPR movements were performed on mannequins lying next to the real role players.

The Surry County team, made up of paramedics Roger Horton and Barry McMillian, went first and were hoping for their third state championship in a row.

"I think we did good overall," Horton said. "But that was a tough scenario."

"You go back and replay everything," McMillian said. "There's probably a lot we could have done differently."

The competition wrapped up about 4 p.m. with Scott Brown and Bryan Gallimore from Forsyth County going last.

"We don't see things like this in the field everyday," Gallimore said. "It definitely challenges your knowledge, your skills, your ability to handle stress."

The winners of the competition will be announced Tuesday.

Contact Robert C. Lopez at 691-5091 or robert.lopez@news-record.com

Copyright 2011 - News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.