For 62 newly trained First Aid Service Team (FAST) volunteers, the training they received on FEST Day took the uncertainty out of treating people’s injuries and illnesses that can and often do strike at festivals in southeastern Wisconsin.

The day was the culmination of months of Red Cross training that began in February. It also gave these FAST rookies the chance to practice their skills on fellow volunteers made up to look like they were in the midst of medical emergencies – simulations that added realism to common injuries and wounds they may encounter.

All the exercises were based on actual incidents and experiences except for one, says Volunteer FAST Chair Dene Hollenberg. “For one simulation, we have a couple kids who are lying on the ground who are supposed to have fallen off the Sky Glider. As as long as I’ve been with FAST that has never happened, thank goodness. All the rest of the scenarios are from our experiences.”

Each new trainee team was dispatched by radio on actual “runs,” depending on their location at the Summerfest grounds. Once arriving on the scene, the trainees put their Red Cross skills to the test by administering treatment.

Communication was an important part of the training. Trainees were oriented in the professional use of FAST radios, as well as what questions to ask to determine the extent of the injury or illness. The calls that came over the radio were varied, and included some traumatic situations. “Trauma is like falling off a table and cutting your leg or breaking a bone – something from the outside that injures you,” Hollenberg explains. “There were a lot of scenarios about sudden illness too, such as seizure, cardiac, diabetic and heat stroke.”

With the addition of the 62 FAST members, Red Cross now has over 250 FAST volunteers providing first aid services at more than 70 events throughout southeastern Wisconsin, including the Circus Parade, Summerfest, Waukesha County Fair, Miller Ride for the Arts and Special Olympic events.

The American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin relies on donations of time and money so they can provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Dodge, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties. To donate your time, please visit our Volunteer page. Financial donations can be made online through our secure contribution site.