Sparta Motlow Holding Triage Training For EMS Students Wednesday

Motlow State Community College will host a triage training for EMS students at its Sparta campus this Wednesday.

Motlow Director of EMS Houston Austin said around 30 students will get to have hands-on experience as they learn the statewide triage system. Austin said the best time to learn and make mistakes is while students are still learning in school.

“And we want to give our students as much of a realistic approach as we can to make sure they’re properly prepared,” Austin said. “Because as far as they know, their first day they could have some type of mass casualty or some instances where this is going to be used.”

Austin said students in the most basic EMT program to the highest-ranking paramedic program will participate. He said they’ll cover instances ranging from a simple scrape to full-blown emergencies. He said they will learn the four-color system that is used by every emergency department in the state.

“Just like here a couple of years ago when the tornado, unfortunately, hit Cookeville, the triage system has to be used,” Austin said.”The good thing about is that everybody has the same system because it was put in by state EMS. So when all the Upper Cumberland ambulances services were able to come together in one location and we all knew the same triage system, we all knew the same way of being able to operate.”

Austin said the training will take place on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. He said though it is adjacent to White County High School’s campus, it will not affect school business.