8th Annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Olympics

A total of 12 teams competed in a series of staged scenarios and a skills obstacle course designed to test their emergency response abilities. An experienced group of judges consisting of UW Hospital emergency physicians, nurses, instructors, paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) scored the teams at each station based on their EMT level, speed and accuracy.

Medals were given to the top three scoring teams at each scenario station and a plaque was awarded to the 2010 overall winner, Divine Savior EMS Service out of Portage, scoring an overall average of 98 percent accuracy.

"While winning is a good way for us to show we are good at patient care, it is fun watching all of the competitors get along, have fun in a competitive spirit and want to win for the benefit of our patients," said Bill Tierney of the Divine Savior team.

The EMS Olympics provides participants with the unique opportunity to receive immediate feedback on their performance from the judges and keep copies of each scenario for future training.

 
"We like the EMS Olympics because it gives us a chance to hone our skills, show what we do best and compete for fun with other communities that we don't normally get to work with on a day-to-day basis," says Cody Doucette of the Divine Savior team. "This is a great learning experience and a ton of fun."

EMS providers Joe Hassell, Jeff Robinson, Cathie Broadbent and Joan Gerl, from the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility, respond to a victim, Paul Vanderbloemen, involved in an explosion located in the bathroom of a local store.		Lonna Coddington, Jordan Coddington and Richard Daniels, of the Advanced EMT Team, assist Katelin Beyer, a rollerblader with a bee sting.

	The 2010 EMS Olympic winners: Divine Savior EMS made up of team members (left to right) Cody Doucette, Lynn Thornton and Bill Tierney.