Recently, the Airdrie Fire Department demonstrated how they are utilizing the life-saving equipment from the Osborne Medical Simulation Lab; which was made possible by Airdrie philanthropist Tracy Osborne.

Osborne funded the lab through a generous monetary donation and as such the lab can facilitate realistic skill development for Airdrie firefighters, preparing them to interact with patients to provide advanced lifesaving procedures in a crisis.

Deputy Chief of Operations Training for the Airdrie Fire Department, Garth Rabel explained that the most recent training was part of the International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) that is required of firefighters.

"Two platoons each year get recertified in [the] ITLS skills. We've always done that in the past, but now with the Osborne simulation, lab; the props and adjuncts [make] that training even more effective," Deputy Rabel said. "The skill sets that we're delivering now, enhance[s] the ability to take those skill sets and put them into a training scenario with these remarkable new props."

In a Facebook post, the Airdrie Professional Firefighters Association shared a video of what the latest training entailed.

The ‘Made-in-Airdrie Solution’ that was put forth by Osborne and approved by Airdrie's city council last year, is enabling the city's firefighters to train with what Deputy Chief Rabel said are some of the most innovative and interactive training tools available.

"This allows us to be more hands-on with the more innovative tools and we get more immediate feedback. It's just a much richer overall training experience. 

When asked how this training may be placed into real-world scenarios, Deputy Chief Rabel said that these skills encompass a large swath of life-saving techniques from starting IVs to stopping bleeding as well as performing a tracheotomy - a surgical airway management procedure.

The ‘Made-in-Airdrie Solution’ generated by Tracy Osborne was approved by Council on March 7 at a council meeting. 

City councillors on social media also chimed in on just how vital the medical simulation lab is. Councillor Heather Spearman noted on her social media account that this is a 'gamer changer'.

"I don’t think anyone could have predicted the impact it would have on helping the [city's firefighters] in their training and co-response abilities. A municipality may not be able to hire more EMS and ambulances, but making the current resources that much better is a game changer."

In mid-December of last year, the fire department showcased the new equipment and lab training capabilities Osborne, Kevin Weinberger, the Director of Community Growth and Protection, Deputy Mayor Heather Spearman, Councillor Ron Chapman and Councillor Tina Petrow. 

According to a 2022 year-end summation, the fire department noted that the most common call-out for 2022, was medical. Nearly 50 per cent of the fire department's calls are medical calls, though this has not changed dramatically in the past several years. However, the department noted an overall increase in call volume last year. 

In a touching tribute to Tracy Osborne's late brother, Mark Osborne, the training mannequin in the facility is named 'The Oz', a nickname that was given to Mark. The young man tragically died in a car collision two months after he turned 17.

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