HOUGHTON -- A school bus flipped on its side. It's a tragic scene inside as students are caught in seats. Firefighters rush to pop open the window shield, and first responders rush in.
Brad Uren with the Survival Flight from the University of Michigan says treating kids is different.
"Children are not small adults. They have unique physiology. There's something unique about them as people and how their body functions that make it very challenging to deal with them. They have different injury patterns, they have different response to medications. You have to plan for that when you take care of them," said Uren.
In situations like a mass casualty, response teams need to use a triage sorting system. The most challenging part of the drill is identifying what victim needs immediate attention based on the severity of their injuries. Medics color label each victim based on their injury.
As medics get in the bus, they call for anyone who can walk out, labeling them green. Those who are injured get yellow, but those in critical condition are red and get immediate care.
Annette Butina says it's important for emergency crews to work together because it can save a life.
"Everybody has a different way of learning a different way of triaging somebody. I think by all of us coming to the table, we can all learn to work together--as they say, a unified command--and it makes it easier for everyone," said Butina.
This drill is part of the 5th Annual Western U.P. Trauma and Critical Care Conference, put on by the Survival Flight team.
Survival Flight now has a helicopter that can respond to an incident in the U.P. when needed.
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