The Mehlville Fire Protection District hosted a specialized training class on May 2 in collaboration with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, focused on managing critical airway situations in infants and children.

Instructors from Cardinal Glennon, paramedic Rita West and MFPD Battalion Chief EMS Training Officer Darick Day taught personnel not only from Mehlville but also from other districts like Shrewsbury and as far as Cape Girardeau.

Trainees rotated through different stations, which included hands-on simulations with infant mannequins and pig tracheae.

The training session is part of Mehlville Fire’s larger “Critical Care Transport Program” training program that began in January and runs through May.

In April, the fire district taught a course on managing adult critical airway situations, and plans are in the works for future training sessions as well.

 “The collaboration with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital underscores Mehlville Fire Protection District’s commitment to forging strong partnerships with leading healthcare institutions to advance pre-hospital care standards,” the district stated in a press release.

Other recent pre-hospital initiatives introduced by the fire district include its on-site blood transfusion program, which allows for blood transfusions at the scene of an emergency. Previously, during emergencies, the volume of blood lost could only be replaced with saline.