The Bloomfield Township Fire Department (BTFD) is always looking to stay ahead of the curve and make sure their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel have the most up-to-date training. This is of the utmost importance in Bloomfield Township, which is home to one of the oldest populations in Oakland County.
With this in mind, the BTFD purchased the REALITi 360 Plus Simulated Patient Monitor (SPM) in February of this year. This state-of-the-art device is a high-fidelity, interactive tool designed to replicate real-world emergency medical scenarios. It combines realistic patient mannequins and scenario-based learning modules to help EMS personnel practice and improve their skills in a controlled, repeatable setting.
In September, this purchase was supported by a 50% match grant from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association (MMRMA) as a part of their Risk Avoidance Program (RAP).
The goal of the simulator is to improve the preparedness, confidence, and competence of EMS personnel in handling critical incidents. It addresses key risks such as improper patient assessment, delayed treatment, and poor communication during high-stakes situations. By simulating these challenges, this tool helps reduce errors and improve patient outcomes in the field. The REALITi 360 Plus SPM has been making a difference in EMS training for over six months.
BTFD Captain Mike Sova shares, “Training paramedics to treat life threatening illnesses and injuries that we don’t see every day can be a challenge. With this simulation equipment we can replicate as close to an actual person having an emergency as possible for our training. If our paramedics can see and experience these critical situations in a training environment first they will be much more successful when actually faced with these patients in real life. This allows us to provide the highest level of emergency medical care to our patients when they need it most. We are focusing our training with these devices on low frequency high risk scenarios.”
Operations Officer Alan VanHeck adds, “The paramedics love the new technology; the more interactive, the better. This mannequin can speak and duplicate medical emergencies. That always makes training more interesting.”
If you’re interested in taking a CPR class, you can find the upcoming schedule at BTFD CPR. You will need to complete a Sign-Up Form.
The Bloomfield Township Fire Department (BTFD) was organized in 1930 and has progressed into a full-service fire department composed of 67 uniformed career firefighters and officers and one administrative assistant. The mission of the BTFD is to protect lives, property and the environment of the Township and nearby municipalities through prompt, skilled, innovative fire and life safety services with compassion and respect.
The Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association (MMRMA) is a public entity self-insurance pool that provides liability, property, and data breach coverage to governmental entities throughout Michigan. From award-winning risk management programs to on-demand resources and support that include community-focused initiatives and training opportunities—MMRMA is a service-driven organization that serves members and communities with purpose.