“The Generac Foundation is proud to partner with Waukesha County Technical College on this important patient simulation lab initiative. The manikins will enrich WCTC students’ classroom experience and better prepare them for working in the field.” -- Rhonda Matschke, executive vice president of Human Resources at Generac
Thirteen new faces can now be found in the recently renamed Generac Human Patient Simulation Lab at Waukesha County Technical College, which is used by students in fire/EMS training
programs. These faces belong to “Vivian,” “Pete,” “Gwen” and others, but they’re not students, faculty or staff. They are among the collection of high-tech, realistic body simulation manikins that will upgrade the training experience for first responders.
The manikins were recently unveiled and are now in use by students, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Generac Foundation. They made their debut during the recent, official ribbon cutting ceremony recognizing the Generac Human Patient Simulation Lab.
Manufactured by Lifecast Body Simulation, the collection includes seven pediatric models: babies, toddlers and children, and six adult models: teens through senior citizens. The manikins represent a range of ages, ethnicities and skin tones and provide a realistic experience that is second to none for those in first responder programs.
“In simulation training, one of the most important things is to create as realistic of an opportunity as possible, and that’s what these manikins do. It’s invoking that feeling of empathy in the students,” said Courtney Hull, associate dean of Fire/EMS at WCTC. She added that the extraordinary lifelike look of the manikins, and how their appearance stirs emotions and reactions, ultimately strengthens learning.
Because of the portability of these manikins, they are designed to be moved from location to location for use in a variety of settings – such as in a bathroom, an office space, or outdoors, for example – or anywhere an accident or emergency could happen. “This gives us the ability to be flexible, adaptable and create those realistic environments for our students,” Hull said.
The manikins are paired with iSimulate clinical education technology, which can be programmed to mimic medical equipment used in the field, such as defibrillators, monitors and ventilators.
The Generac Foundation focuses on powering possibilities and strengthening communities where Generac employees live and work. Two of the foundation’s four pillars focus on assisting first responders and advancing education.
“The Generac Foundation is proud to partner with Waukesha County Technical College on this important patient simulation lab initiative,” said Rhonda Matschke, executive vice president of Human Resources at Generac. “The manikins will enrich WCTC students’ classroom experience and better prepare them for working in the field.”
More than 200 students and current EMS professionals will utilize these devices each year for their training, including high school students enrolled in WCTC’s fire/EMS Dual Enrollment Academy.