VIEWFINDER: West Pierce Fire & Rescue Gives Curtis Students a Primer on Emergencies

Injuries happen, even in the classroom. Or the field.

Knowing that, some Curtis students got a primer on injuries and emergency situations from West Pierce late last month.

The students participated in a competition where they learned how to properly backboard a patient, conduct injury assessments on athletes, taped injuries, took a written test comprised of topics such as emergency medicine, anatomy, injury prevention and medical terminology, according to the department.

The competition culminated in a mock earthquake at the high school where the students treated numerous “patients”. Firefighters and teachers spent the day working with students to give them the confidence to know they could perform these skills in an actual emergency.

The competition was part of a district effort to increase rigor in the Career and Technical Education courses and to ensure students are meeting all state and district requirements. While the event was fun, it also tested the students' abilities.

"All students performed above expectations and we hope to host the event again next year," the department tells Patch.