An honest appraisal CP and something which we will all have encountered, to some level or other, in similar stress training exercises.
Captain paranoia said:
does anyone have suggestions for mental training exercises to help stay calm, assess and, well, do a better job? You are already doing it, in that simply recognising the problem and searching for an answer is the first major step forward.
‘Knock at the door and wait for the answer’
This phrase was given to me by a WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician)
C&C (Command and Control) is central to your solution, normally a term associated with the military, yet it is also best practice for all first level responders (Police, Fire & Rescue and the Ambulance Service) and something which UK Mountain Rescue implements very well.
10 years ago I was at the Scottish Mountain Rescue Shell Conference held in Aberfeldy. These meetings were designed to share best practise amongst the Scottish MRTs through a series of lectures and also in practical exercises. There was a night exercise which involved a downed aircraft. Something which happens more frequently than is often known in the Scottish mountains, especially with military low-level training flights. In addition, we have had major air crash disasters, my own team, TVMRT, were in attendance at the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie incident and were some of the first responders’ on-scene.
UK Mountain Rescue teams create 'Hills Parties' for every incident, comprising of the members who turn up at the shout, meaning that the mix of responders is frequently different. Hill Parties are usually 5 responders and each person is assigned a specific role, these are:
1. Hill party leader
2. Navigator
3. Safety officer
4. First-aider
5. Comms
Whilst thru MR training each member can fulfil each role, due to experience some people are better placed than others for specific tasks, for example a team member who in his work life is a paramedic will invariably be assigned First-aider - My role was regularly as the Navigator;)
OK, back to the night exercise at Aberfeldy and why this is so specific to your training requirements CP.
A group of around 25 volunteers were mustered on the hill and briefed as a group that there had been a reported aircraft crash in the near vicinity; we were given no other details.
The first thing that this team of people did, some of whom knew each other and others who did not, was agree the C&C. We chose an overall leader for the night (Incident Commander), a second in command (2IC) and a Runner; I will explain more about this last role later. This process took 10 minutes.
The IC & 2IC assessed the information report, then determined which areas were to be searched by each of the Hill Parties. When they had determined this the IC2 briefed the parties as a group. The first important feature is that the IC never has any direct contact with any of the Hill Parties. If he/she wishes to communicate with them or vice a versa they do so thru their 2IC or the Runner. This strategy allows the IC to have a clear head and complete situational analysis of the incident from the outset and it works excellently.
As the Hill Partys reported back their findings, from aircraft parts to casualty in a tree (a parachutist) the IC was able to coordinate the Hill Party activities and allocate resources accordingly. Similar to your training scenario, our incident contained
wild cards, from un-exploded munitions near one of the casualties to an irate drunk farmer and his vicious dog.
People like structure, it is the premise of our society, and it is remarkable to observe people when they know exactly what their task is.A few years later I was by chance the first on scene at a serious road traffic accident involving a cyclist who had been crushed by a wagon turning a corner.
I clearly remember standing still for a few moments, probably no more than one minute, assessing the situation, looking around for other casualties, where vehicles had stopped and if the area was safe (Knock at the door and wait for the answer’) and when I had established that I felt safe to enter the area of the incident I assumed control (Hill Party Leader) of the people surrounding the girl. I asked specific individuals if they could do certain tasks, could somebody call the emergency services and stay on the line to them (Comms), could some other people stop or divert the traffic past the incident (Safety Officer) were there any doctors or nurses who could help (First-aider). The system worked and the young girl, who had suffered horrendous injuries, lived.
You could write a book on this subject, and many people have, my advice would be if you feel confident assume control at such an incident and designate specific task to the individuals in attendance. You can build your confidence prior to ever having to do this by visualising how you will act, imagining what you will do at such an incident – effectively role playing it in your mind. It works for me.