It's T.T Time!

By T.T, I don't mean T-total... that's still applicable until Manchester NA on Friday night =]

No, what I mean is this weekend was in fact Trauma Management training, and muggins & Co became casualties for the two days, getting bloodied up (again) and freezing our asses off for people to treat us.

Apart from the potential hypothermia, it was actually an ace weekend. Saturday was a workshop day, which Caitlind and I observed/joined in with on the odd occassion, with today (Sunday) consisting of several scenarios set up to test the skills of our unsuspecting first aiders. Now try saying that last line when you're drunk!

It was interesting watching everyone, and experiencing the different ways in which groups treated you. Everyone had their slightly different methods of dealing with your injury, and admittedly some were slightly better than others!

So rather than letting words describe, I'll let pictures do the talking instead.

Ambo Ambo, woop woop!


Stage One - the gluing process...

Final stage - the full thickness burnage!

Secondary survey - this is how Red Crossers break the ice; if you didn't know someone before, you will now.


Advanced airway management... of sorts


Bag, Valve and Mask - can be confusing!

The rather attractive and one-of-a-kind BRC woolly hat, which a colleague gave me for added warmth during a scenario. On discovering I pretty much suited it, I stole it for the rest of the day. I now have my own one =]

Snow!

Snow fell again in bonnie Elgin today, covering the already icy, yet gradually clearing, pavements and roads with another thick carpet of frosty whiteness. The sort of snow with the perfect consistency for snowball making.

So when my mate Judith and me rounded the corner of the Red Cross car park tonight and saw our boss scraping the snow from the pathway, we knew it was time for some snowball madness.

Slyly, we approached him, hiding our icy ammo behind our backs.

Then when he wasn't looking... bam! Snowball attack =]

We got him good, but he had a shovel and got me back twice as good.
That makes it sound like he hit me with it. That's not the case, as I'm sure you'll be glad to hear; rather he just scooped up a whole heap of snow and catapulted it over me. So it wasn't that bad.

Later on round two commenced, but this time over the bonnet of an ambulance.
Yes, maybe this is gross misuse of RC property, but it made a really good defence line to hide behind.

Blast from the past

Yesterday (that's Sunday for future readers) was the day for the Half Marathon between RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth. Despite snow and ice, the show still went on, and surprisingly it did so very successfully.

Yes, despite the cold, the icy puddles, the snowy pavements and ungritted roads, people still ran through the countryside for, in my opinion, some inexplicable reason other than to top their last running time, which is, of course, very important.

And did we get any casualties?

No.

I'm not sure how it happened, so don't ask. Just ponder about it yourself as to how almost 173 runners reached the finish line unscathed after battling a frosty winterland.

Although saying that, the sun was shining, the day was dry and clear, and if you skirted around the ice I'm sure it was an ace day for running. It was equally an ace day for sitting in a toasty ER vehicle, or in a warm gym hall, waiting for the non-existent casualties to appear.

I remember the same thing happening last year actually, without all the snow and ice. And this year we got soup and muffins to snack on, rather than left overs of mouldy sandwiches and squidgy doughnuts. And a fact is that the run was held a week earlier than last year, because I'm sure it was on the 17th of February last year, rather than the 8th.

I remember such a thing for random reasons.

However the people who show face at such events never change. I certainly saw a couple of people who I recognised, who I don't think recognised me.

Although I don't think I've changed that much in the space of a year, have I?

^ Me & my best bud in the Gym hall, highlighting the fact that her new haircut is somewhat like mine, but a bit longer. She was trying to grope my ass the whole way through that photo shoot, hence her cheeky grin.

Ghostly sirens...

Thunder growls in the distance.
The skies are thick with cloud, the darkness of night shrouding the valley in mystery.
Suddenly a crash of lightening splits the sky, and illuminates the stones walls of an ancient castle, looming through the dark as eerily as Dracula’s Transylvanian home...

...Actually, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Let me put it into a better context. It was dark and gloomy, and the rain did dribble down the front windscreen of our mini bus as we approached Carbisdale’s stone walls, but there was no thunderstorm...which was a pity, because it would have really added to the effect of the scene.

Carbisdale Castle is located in the rolling valleys of Sutherland, or in other terms, is sitting in the middle of nowhere amidst the Scottish Highlands. It’s beautiful and vast scenery – with spacious accommodation within the Castle walls – makes it the ideal place to drag about a hundred first aiders across the North of Scotland for a weekend of Emergency Response training, a belated Burns Supper, and a ceidlih. Now that I’ve done my bit of holiday hotspot guiding (I should go into the brochure industry!) I’ll tell you about what really happened during this entertaining weekend.

Our first achievement was actually reaching the place. From our Elgin office came a fleet of four vehicles; two Red Cross ER vehicles, and two Arnold Clark hired mini buses slotted in between for a good balance. We drove along to Inverness, picked up a further three ER vehicles from our BRC depot on the outskirts of the “Gateway to the Highlands,” and drove on up through the Highlands into the county of Sutherland. Our brave minibus driver/ fellow first aider navigated the twisting roads with great skill (after stalling three times) but despite there being a RC ambo parked outside the entrance to the Castle grounds, we still managed to drive three miles beyond the gates. Ok, this was the fault of our leading vehicle, but let’s not point the finger of blame here. It only meant that a convoy of seven large vehicles ranging from 4x4s to ambulances had to somehow turn around in a single track road – using only a passing place and narrow field entrance – and make their way back down the road to the gates. This might explain why we eventually reached Carbisdale at 9pm rather than an hour or so earlier, and therefore missed supper...

Anyway, we made it, and after being allocated rooms – all of which varied in temperature because three out of the seven ancient boilers which heated the now-youth-hostel were broken – we slept through to Saturday morning. When a fiery dawn broke over the distant hills, each first aider arose to fight for a freezing shower, grab a proper greasy breakfast, and generally mingle.
There were many first aid groups there, the largest possibly being from Inverness. Then of course there was us (the Elgin crew) and Aberdeen. From in between our cities there came many other smaller groups, but all Red Cross first aiders none-the-less, all equally as passionate about the job as the next crew, and all raring for the day’s workshops to kick off.

Both Saturday and Sunday consisted of planned workshops, taking place in different locations in and around the castle grounds. They varied from splint workshops, to “casualty packaging” to Swift Water Rescue training for the swifties present amongst the gang. Then of course there was the chance to get bloodied up for casualty scenarios, and an opportunity to order some people about via radios during the Communications workshop. There were a few talks on the go too, with one being on First Aid in Water, and Water Awareness, and Time Critical Interventions (coupled with a chance to play about in the Field Hospital unit) and a different one based on ER Logistics, which was surprisingly interesting and good fun. All this and more were spread out over the two days, and somehow we managed to slip lunch and supper time in between. As I said before, we arranged a belated Burns Supper for Saturday night (yum, haggis, neaps and tatties time!) and a ceidlih to follow, which carried on way into the early hours of the morning and was fuelled mainly by a slight presence of alcohol... Even first aiders have to unwind some how!
However, all good things must come to an end, and after a fun-filled, highly educational weekend, Sunday afternoon came and with it came home time. We piled ourselves back into our respective buses, ambulances, 4x4s and other ER vehicles of different origins, and set off for home.

That night, the moment my head touched the pillow of my own snug bed, I was dead to the world; yes, it was that tiring. But on reflection now I can see just what an amazing weekend it had been. It was fun, yes, and admittedly it allowed for a lot of banter, some sober, and some...otherwise... Yet on a serious note, the weekend gave everyone there the opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills, as well as develop the old ones. Every workshop was educational and fun, allowing for everyone to join in and get to grips on how to deal with certain situations, as well as how to handle the equipment and know when to use it. I can safely say I have come home with a lot more knowledge of first aid and Emergency Response workings than I had before hand. I’ve gained new experiences, met – and made friends with – new people, and have strengthened the bonds with those of my own group (ah, I love cheesy conclusions).

But really, training weekends like Carbisdale are so important in topping up your knowledge stores and increasing the relations between the different branches. It means that when it comes to working together (cue another cheesy sum-up) it means we can do so with confidence and understanding of one another’s abilities and experiences, and maintain that sense of friendship with them. It’s beneficial for us, and for those we help, so we need training weekends like Carbisdale.

It’s not just for the drink, honest.





The amber glow of the fiery sky on Saturday morning.






Carbisdale's eerie front, with it's old clock tower watching over the car park. Sinister...




One of the ER vehicles and the entrance in the background. Notice my camera skills as the rear end of the vehicle is perfectly in line with the vertical of the tower =]





I took this picture, and liked it.

Now We're Getting Somewhere...

I have achieved something great.

I have passed my driving theory test.

=]

Ok, maybe it's not great - it's uber good, but not great. Passing the minor detail of driving a car would be great. But that will come in time; not too long now I don't think. A couple of weeks maybe?
But hey, at least I've passed step one of this whole driving malarky. And after a good-ish mock test last night (just a few small glitches which need polishing up - it was dark, may I add) during which I didn't feel too nervous, I think it should be alright when it comes down to doing the real deal.

Aside to this success, I'm also really excited. Tomorrow the RC gang is off to Carbisdale Castle for some Emergency Response training magic ^^
I am determined that this year's weekend away will kick the ass of last year's - on reflection I didn't post a blog about it despite me saying I would at a later date. Maybe because it ended up being so spectacularly crap that I just didn't want to reminisce. I wasn't very well after a rather long-winded, highly emotional week, and I wasn't strong enough to tackle the demands of trudging across snow-covered hillsides and playing with bandages on river banks. Therefore I felt pretty miserable that weekend, which doesn't mix with late nights and boozey banter.
This year, however, should be - and will be - a lot better.
No doubt I'll end up writing about it when I come back, so watch this space......

It's baaack! So rev your engines...

The engines revved, the air filled with the unmistakable smell of petrol, and the countryside came alive with the competitive roaring of a row of growling motorbikes.
Suddenly the green flag came down upon the muddy earth, and they were off!

Yes, the holy, almighty, oh-so-dependable-to-happen-monthly duty that is Moto X has returned.

Well, technically it's the second race of the year, but let's not get bogged down in the realities... for me it was the first.

However, this Moto X was unlike any other I'd been to before. It was based...
*Jeremy-Clarkson-style dramatic pause*
...in a field.
We're not sure why the usual woodland track of Woodside was unacceptable, but perhaps the incredibly windy conditions of the previous night had disabled it somehow. Either way, this new and randomly located track was twice as long, rather hilly, and had several blind bends which we as first aiders couldn't see unless we owned a pair of x-ray specs.
Our eyes and ears were substitued by strange men on quad bikes who clearly enjoyed racing around like maniacs without a care in the world. And when one lad did come flying from his bike at the furthest bend behind a summit, it was one of these speedy-boys who drove off without us, to locate the 'injured' one. Meanwhile, Ronnie, Ian and Christine dived into the 4x4 bouncy castle that is Red Echo 2 and meandered round the course to try and reach the casualty.
This stopped when they noticed the casualty had actually just jumped on the back of the speedy quadbike and was in fact not injured at all.
Caitlind and me had a great laugh watching RE2 - capable of conquering all terrain (ha!) - struggle back out of the dip it found itself in.

That was the only excitement of the race.

The rest of the day was spent taking immensely hilarious photos, faking fall outs on Bebo to worry people, giving me the cold shoulder for the majority of the afternoon, and finally, when it all ended, we returned to the safety of a proper road, which Red Echo 6 seemed incredibly grateful with (the poor rust bucket can't deal with hills or rough ground of any gradient without it's wheels squealing in pain - no joke).

Couple the uneventfulness with the biting wind, lack of shelter, and no chips from the burger bar because the fryer broke down, and what do you get?
A cold and hungry, but generally amusing, experience.

We're Back in Business!

A whole new year of Red Cross duties... Here we go again!

But God, how I've missed it. It's not until you slip back into the ol' blue boilersuit and fight to get your boots back on and tied properly that you realise just how much you've missed the excitement and sometimes right waste of time that comes with being on first aid duty.

So far there have been three duties, with a fourth to come this approaching Sunday, but first let's reflect on the joys of the events so far...

Saturday 1oth

The Burghead Clavie. Yes, we have returned to the very beginning of all RC annual duties. You know it's the New Year for real when the Clavie comes back round again. It was very much the singed uniform again, rather like last year, but in fact it was probably worse this year.

You see, Ronnie was team leader, which meant he was in charge of pairing us up for the duty. it was all fine and dandy at first, until someone pointed out the highly precious and non-fire-resistant material that makes up the £400 Emergency Response jackets. You'd think ER jackets would be fire-retardent... I'm sure they are, but there you go; don't argue with the boss...

So, because muggins doesn't have a fancy-pants 400-pounds-worth piece of material to drape over my shoulders (yet) I was put at the front of the parade with John, who was feeling my pain too, and told that if the tar and embers from the burning stack messed up our hi vis it wouldn't matter as much.

Well, it wasn't those exact words, but it was something to the effect. It wouldn't be a lot of money down the drain anyway. Maybe I should've worn my own version of the highly expensive ER jacket - something resembling a large neon-yellow potato sack - and tried to burn it. Then it would've given an excuse to get me a nice, snug, tailored one sooner. Why do you only think of the good ideas ages after the time it was needed?

So John and me flanked the clavie all the way through the little fishing village, right up to its resting place on top of the hill that once was part of an old pictish fort. The moment the smouldering barrel crumbles and sets the hill alight, the moment the people of Burghead rejoice, and welcome in the pictish new year with great enthusiasm, before buggering off to the pub for celebratory beers. A pleasure we, as on-duty first aiders, long to join in with, but can't.

Instead, our version of celebrating was far more entertaining, standing out in the cold and being arranged in certain formations so Caitlind could use her arty-farty photography talents and snap pictures of our illuminated backs on her camera. Yes, our backs. I mean, we're nae such a bad looking bunch... really...

Actually, in agreement with another first aider, it was somewhat like a Red Cross outing, what with getting 'holiday' snaps and so on.

Anyway, it was a good, albeit cold, night. I actually love the Clavie, just cos it kicks start the first aiding mood all over again, even though - and this is surprising - we never seem to get any casualties.

This is what the ER team really get up to...

In a line, ladies and gents...

Sunday 11th and Monday 12th

It's blood donor time!

Possibly the one duty which purely shows our good nature as volunteers, rather than our first aiding skills. Although on Monday night, we did assist one of the nurses in helping a poor lassie who nearly passed out on the table. That got the adrenaline going a bit, all for about... oooh, 2.5 seconds?

Still, at least she was alright, what with several cups of orange juice being delivered to her by the minute, and with her feet in elavation for a lengthy period of time.

The rest of the duty was taken up by mine and Caitlind's continual rants and ramblings, Caitlind's need ro rearrange the cups in nice neat rows according to flavour of juice (and my interference when I made a Red Cross symbol out of the blackcurrant juice cups) and the odd game of "I Spy," the latter of these games going something along the lines of:

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with....... J."

"Oh no, we're nae playing that again....... Jug?

And a little while later, after "I Spy" had worn off, I killed time by constantly trying to remember which four other emergency services use blue lights on their vehicles. This went something along the lines of:

"Ok, there's four of them... So, there's coastguard, blood transfusion, bomb disposal... coastguard, blood transfusion, bomb disposal... there's coastguard, blood transfusion, bomb disposal... coastguard, blood transfusion, bomb disposal... coastguard, blood transfusion, bomb disposal..." (and so on...)

Then, two hours later after the duty, Caitlind receives this text:

"Mountain Rescue!!!"

Yes, I love duties.

Before...

After...