This week's Monday Night Drill was a "F.A.S.T. & Mayday Operations" drill for our Firefighters and a "Respiratory Emergencies" drill for our EMTs.

The "F.A.S.T. & Mayday Operations" drill had our Vista Firefighters reviewing how to perform a mayday, how to properly call a mayday on an emergency scene and then we tested our Firefighters by having them call a "mayday" in a practical scenario by using F.A.S.T. (Firefighter assist and search team) skills. Vista Firefighters reviewed several different packaging techniques on how to prepare a Firefighter for removal followed by extrication techniques to remove the downed Firefighter safely from the incident. A "mayday" is a procedure to utilize when Firefighters find themselves in a position of imminent danger or where immediate communication is necessary to protect life or prevent injury.

The "Respiratory Emergencies" drill had our Vista EMS personnel reviewing airway issues such as bronchitis, allergic reactions and choking. Once the types of hazards were identified during a respiratory emergency call, our Vista EMS personnel also learned how to set up various equipment that would be used during these type of emergencies like how to operate an oxygen bottle and how to properly use the nebulizer.

If you are interested in being part of our team at the Vista FD, visit us any Monday night from 6:30pm - 9:30pm or click the "Become a Member" tab at VistaFD.org for more details!