St. John Ambulance Brigade

Hutt News, Volume 12, Issue 40, 29 March 1939, Page 7

St. John Ambulance Brigade

CASUALTY NIGHT

The Railway Workshops was the scene of unusual activities recently, when the first combined practice of the Hutt Valley Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade was held. The recently formed Hutt Valley inter-divisional executive of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, under the chairmanship of Mr. C. E. Binns, Petone division, and with Mr. A. J. Ross, Hutt Valley railway division, as secretary, arranged - a "Casualty Night" for the purpose of testing the efficiency of the live local divisions to deal with a local or national disaster. It was presumed that an explosion had occurred at the Hutt Railway Workshops. When the alarm was given ! members of the. Petone and Hutt Valley railway ambulance divisions proceeded -to the erecting shop, where, with the aid of electric torches, they found several "injured" lying among the locomotives on the pits. Within three-quarters ; of an hour first-aid dressings were ; applied to 47 injuries and the injured persons conveyed to a j "casualty clearing station," where j full particulars relating to the case I were recorded by the receiving j officer. The "patients" were thenN transported to the social hall which, with the aid of tables and blankets, members of the Lower Hutt nursing division had transformed into a "temporary hospital." As no more than 7 stretchers weer available for -removing the injured from the scene of the "catastrophe," "hand seats" had to be used for some cases .and persons able to walk were assisted to the "hospital" by one of the ambulance men. The comfort of the patients was the first care of the nurses, and acting under instructions from the doctors, the first-aid dressings were adjusted or the injuries re-dressed. Tl\e injuries included burns, simple and compound fractures of limbs and skull, severed arteries and veins, abdomen wounds witji protrudffi'g bowel, minor wounds on various parts of the body. During the evening members of the Lower Hutt nursing division gave a demonstration of bedmaking and the use of the Lowmoor stretcher was demonstrated when members of the Amluance Division lowered a patient from an overhead crane in the machine shop. Valuable assistance was rendered by Drs. R. A. Bakewell and H. G. Rix, also by Miss G. Wells ; who was at one time attached to the nursing staff of the Knights Road Hospital. Interested spectators included the General Manager of Railways, Mr. G. H. Mackley; Commissioner F. W. Ward; District Superintendent, W. W. Dutton; Lady District Superintendent, Mrs. G. Barltrop; district officers, corps superintendent, F. D. Elvines; lady corps superintendent, Mrs. M. F. Gaby, M.B.E; corps officers; lady superintendent, Mrs. Falconer, of Tauranga; members of the Wellington Railway Ambulance and nursing divisions and friends of members of the local divisions. Several of the visitors congratulated the members of the divisions upon the efficient work performed, and made special reference to the capable manner in which Superintendent C. E. Binns had improvised the injuries. Mr. Binns had performed miracles with scrap pieces of cloth, rubber and bone. For the first time in New Zealand the use of "printed lists" of injuries were dispensed with, and the "improvised injuries" were so adjusted to the "patients" that in the semi-darkness they appeared like actual injuries. District officers had to have more than one look at some of the "fractures" in order to satisfy themselves they were "faked." Commissioner F. W. Ward, on behalf of the Hutt Valley Railway Ambulance Division, presented a wristlet watch to divisional superintendent, It. C. Horwell as an expression of appreciation of ' his services to .the division. Mr. Horwell suitably responded, and thus ended a very interesting, instructive and successful function. The officers responsible for the efficient conduct of the various activities were: Supervising and Injuries: Divisional Supintendent C. E. Binns. First Aid: Ambulance Officer A. McPherson. Transport: Divisional . Superintendent R. C. Horwell. Receiving and Recording: Cadet . Officer J. W. Roy. Casualty Clearing: Ambulance Officer A. J. Ross. > Hospital Supervisor: Lady Superintendent Mrs. C. A. Fuller. Discharge: Ambulance Officer A. B. Gray. O.C. Nursing Cadets: Lady Cadet Superintendent Miss G. A. Stiles. Patients: Members of the Petone Ambulance and Lower Hutt Cadet Nursing Divisions. The thanks of the St. John Ambulance Brigade is extended to the Railway Department for facilities provided and to the works manager, Mr. W. D. Burton, for his assistance. When returning from the workshops, some of the cadets were called upon to assist a girl who had been knocked down. The girl had facial injuries and concussion. The cadets rendered first-aid - and conveyed the injured girl to her home. Congratulations to the cad«ts .concerned. '