Simbulance joins Harnett County EMS training program
H
arnett County EMS unveiled its new, state-of-theart ambulance simulator, the Simbulance (SIM-1) at the school of osteopathic medicine. SIM-1 is the first simulation ambulance in the area to allow paramedics to have a mobile ambulance utilized as a dedicated training environment.
County EMS and Campbell University’s medical simulation center have been working together since 2015, and the vision to add an ambulance to the training resources had been in existence for some time.
“The unit is a joint partnership between Dunn Emergency Services, Harnett County Emergency Services, and Campbell University,” said Harnett County EMS Assistant Chief of Training, West Barefoot. “We have many providers who come to us without previous hands-on field experience. This mobile training unit will allow pre-hospital providers an opportunity to learn in a simulated environment using state of the art training equipment.”
This fall, Chief Gary Whitman of the Dunn Emergency Services had an ambulance they were going to retire from service, so he approached the county with the idea of donating it to train providers throughout out the entire county. Larry Smith, EMS director for Harnett County, gladly accepted and gained approval to pay
36 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
