Habersham County hosts Trauma Skills Procedure Labs

On Friday, Feb. 9, Habersham County was able to host two sessions of Georgia Trauma Skills Procedure Labs to more than 150 people at no cost to the county’s taxpayers. The Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association training is made possible by State of Georgia funding provided through the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission. The sessions are approved by Georgia’s Office of EMS and Trauma for four hours of continuing education units. “It’s excellent training,” said Habersham County Emergency Services Director / Chief Jeff Adams. “It’s paid for through the Georgia Trauma Commission. They receive the funding through Super Speeder fees, and they disburse the money out to GEMSA and to the EMS and also to the hospitals for trauma care.” Rotating stations give 30-minutes of hands-on experience with cadavers to first responders, EMTs, paramedics, and other care professionals. “This is a trauma skills lab and we’ve got 150 students going through all day today, practicing different skills that they use with trauma patients,” Adams said. “Each lab runs about $45,000 to $50,000 by the time you get the necessary supplies and equipment together to put the lab on and get the instructors here. It’s pretty costly.” Instructors bring a combined 380 years of experience to the training. Adams said the training is valuable not only for Habersham County but to the surrounding area as well and offers a perspective not offered by reading or watching a video. “We try to do everything we can to support the education of our staff and staff in the surrounding counties and it makes you feel good,” Adams said. “These trauma skills labs have become a big, big part of the EMS education through the technical schools and even through some of the nursing schools. Just to be able to get in here and to be able to get their hands on these cadavers, it’s completely different than what comes out of the textbook.” Georgia collects $3 million per month in Super Speeder fines, with 20% of that going to GEMSA for education of responders.