News Releases
Bay Area's Bravest Receive Newest Pediatric Emergency Training
Partnership between Packard Children's and firefighters benefits the entire community
For Release: November 05, 2008
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- In a Bay Area first, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital's Pediatric Advance Workshop With Simulation (PAWWS) program is partnering with Bay Area firefighters to improve continuity of care for kids facing emergencies."Incidents involving children are some of the most difficult that we encounter, both on an operational level and an emotional level," said John Kammeyer, EMS Division Chief, Central San Mateo County Fire Departments. When searching out training for this, we wanted our people to receive the best we could find. Clearly the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Center for Nursing Excellence is arguably the best in the country. So the partnership only made sense to us."
That's why over the next three days, and again on November 14, nearly 150 area firefighters will receive advanced pediatric training from one of the top teaching hospitals in the country. "We will be taking actual pediatric emergency codes that the firefighters use and simulating them with our high-tech, lifelike pediatric mannequins," said Lynda Knight, RN, who developed the PAWWS program at Packard Children's. "These are real-life, real-time emergency scenarios, and the firefighters will jump into action with all of their own equipment. We want it to be as real as possible." Pediatric intensive care doctors and nurses from the hospital will observe and train the firefighters. Each scenario will be videotaped for a debrief on the technical and behavioral skills required to save kids' lives.
Firefighters understand that the needs of pediatric patients are usually different from those of an adult. That's why they're excited to partner with the PAWWS program to be certain those first precious minutes of a pediatric emergency are not lost. "The simulation offered by PAWWS is just like our doctors and nurses receive," added Knight, a clinical nurse educator at Packard Children's and part of a team that trains over 1000 healthcare providers from throughout the Western region every year. "It's a realistic way to practice and certify life-saving clinical, technical and decision-making skills without risk to a real child."
Finally, Knight offered a salute to the firefighters' dedication. "These are true public servants," added Knight. "They're taking this training because they know that saving lives is their mission. We're proud to partner with them, and we expect to learn and share a lot through our work together."
Training Event, 11/5/08 - 11/7/08, & 11/14/08
9:30am-12:30pm daily
1:30pm-4:30pm daily
1400 Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto
Media Contact
Todd Kleinheinztkleinheinz@lpch.org
(650) 387-5421