Ekurhuleni firefighter selected to judge at world rescue competition
Teams from across the world compete in extricating a patient from a wreck of a vehicle.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) crew commander, Phillip “PJ” Reid Phillip, has been appointed a judge for the 2018 World Rescue Challenge in Cape Town from October 21 to 26.
The challenge is an international firefighters competition.
Reid, based at Leon Ferreira Fire Station in Boksburg, will be one of the five South Africans who will join 21 other assessors from all over the world.
The World Rescue Challenge is the premier global rescue event. It is hosted in countries each year by the World Rescue Organisation. The 2018 edition will be co-hosted in conjunction with the South African Medical Rescue Organisation (SAMRO).
Teams from across the world compete in extricating a patient from a wreck of a vehicle at a staged accident scene. The teams will be assessed on three safety categories: incident commanding, technical rescue (using of tools to take out a patient) and on the medical technique they use.
They will also be assessed on professionalism, speed and care. The categories includes general approach to the scene, survey of the scene, casualty care and assessment and communication among the team and the patient and also the assessors. All these has to be done within a specified time-limit.
Reid says although the main aim in an emergency is to extract the patient from danger, safety for the involved emergency personnel is also key. He said being selected as an assessor was the highlight of his career spanning 26 years.
