“Doc Ops Day” Gives ER Docs A Taste Of Firefighter Life

Fire department personnel and emergency room doctors work together every day, but how well do they understand each other’s work?

Thirteen doctors traded their white coats for firefighter turnout gear this week to participate in "Doc Ops Day" with the Madison Fire Department.

For the sixth year in a row, “Doc Ops Day” offered a chance for Emergency Medicine Residents from UW Hospital to get hands-on experience and a closer look at firefighting and EMS operations.

The collaboration allows residents to become more familiar with the challenges faced by EMS personnel when performing out-of-hospital care.
 
This unique training opportunity is also designed to give new physicians a working knowledge of how the MFD’s incident response dovetails with emergency care at local hospitals.
 
Residents rotated through various stations, including fire attack, ventilation, vehicle extrication, search and rescue, and rehabilitation.

“Doc Ops Day” was held at Madison College’s Public Safety Services Training Center on the Truax campus.

See photos from "Doc Ops Day!"

 
Pictured: MFD Medical Director Dr. Michael Lohmeier with the Emergency Medical Residents from UW Hospital