AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to an announcement from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a number of its health-related schools in Amarillo will join with the TTU School of Veterinary Medicine, Red Cross staff and volunteers, and Amarillo emergency responders for Disaster Day on Friday, a student-led interprofessional emergency response simulation.

“In West Texas we know that it’s not really if an emergency is going to happen, but when,” said Renee Bogschutz, Director of interprofessional education for TTUHSC. “If healthcare providers, veterinarians, ranchers are all prepared for a natural disaster, we have a plan about how to respond, that response is going to be quicker, better and save lives.”

Expected to be held at the TTU School of Veterinary Medicine at 7671 Evans Drive on Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., TTUHSC schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Health Professions and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences will join the TTU School of Veterinary Medicine to come together and diagnose, treat, and care for volunteers roleplaying as patients affected by a natural disaster.

As detailed in the announcement, the simulation will be based on a wildfire that burned near TTUHSC in March 2018. The 18 interprofessional teams will be accompanied by faculty leaders in going through multiple activity stations for the event focused on different aspects of disaster response, including:

• A triage station;
• Basic lifesaving and team lift skills activities;
• An ambulance bus station; and
• An equine rescue station.

“These teams will practice the basics of mass casualty triage and apply assessment, reasoning and decision-making skills during an emergency to facilitate and optimize collaboration through teamwork, communication, ethics and understanding of roles and responsibilities,” said the release.

Baylee Lavender, a second semester nursing student shared that the experience was interesting because they don’t participate in activities like this on a regular basis.

“Like we said earlier, we don’t really get to have a scenario where we’re going to help with a natural disaster, said Lavender. “So, it’s really important for our future reference that we know how to work together as an interprofessional team, and just know our roles in situations like this.”