A three-person crew from Jackson County EMS secured a first-place finish against a field of 25 teams at the statewide Battle of the Smokies Trauma Simulation competition.
Community and Critical Care Paramedic Jeff Conn competed alongside critical care paramedics Chris Hayes and Derek Woolbright as the only representatives from the Upper Cumberland region. Conn said the event, combines continuing education units with a high-stress practical examination of emergency response skills.
“They make these scenarios absolutely amazing and as real-world as they possibly can with simulated blood and real-life patients,” Conn said. “And it just it it lets you max out your stress levels and see what you can deal with and to know how to deal with it if we come across something this severe. That way we we’ve seen it, we’re we know what to do, and we’re way more prepared than what we were before.”
Conn said the competition required teams to navigate a simulated mass casualty incident involving a utility task vehicle that crashed into an electrical pole, Conn said. Responders had to locate a simulated breaker box to cut the power before dividing their attention among multiple bleeding patients. Conn said the crew prioritized stopping the bleeding before assessing airways and preparing the patients for rapid transport.
“It all starts with with our safety and patient safety,” Conn said. “First thing on a situation like that is we find the power and request the power company.”
The annual conference organized by the Tennessee EMS Providers Association draws emergency medical professionals primarily from East Tennessee to test their triage and treatment protocols. The Jackson County team relied on their long-standing professional relationships to efficiently manage the complex scene.
“So all three of us have worked together for for many years,” Conn said. “We also have all three individually have several years of experience, each with over 10 years in EMS.”
The first-place finish marks an improvement for the Jackson County crew, who previously competed in the same event last year and earned second place. The victory serves as a demonstration of the department’s ongoing commitment to regular training and in-service education.
“For me personally, this is home,” Conn said. “This is where I went to middle school and high school. I’m working for my community. And to me, it kind of also just lets our community see that we’re out here trying to better ourselves and we’re doing everything we can to to make sure we’re at the top of our game to serve our community on a daily basis. And it’s guest good to just test ourselves and see where we’re at. And I’m always about trying to get better at my craft, and we do that very regularly of of taking classes and inservices to try to get better at what we do.”