The crew have just had a fantastic couple of days away training.

The first day consisting of bush survival and river awareness run by Keith Riley at Flock Hill Station.

The crew learnt how to make all sorts of shelters to protect themselves and patients, how to light fires, make makeshift stretchers and crutches just out of rope and how to make the right decision to stay alive in our ever-changing environment.

The second day was held at Mt Cheeseman with instructors Matt Wilkinson (Critical Care Paramedic from Nelson) and Karen Jackson (Paramedic in Christchurch) showing how to read Mountain Safety Awareness Alerts, what to look out for in Avalanche terrain, crossing these areas with crampons, self-arresting with an ice axe in case of a fall, searching for avalanche victims using transceivers, reading snowpacks and how to make snow shelters, and so much more.

All the crew took a lot out of it and thoroughly enjoyed such a high level of training.

Making fire
Learning to make fire for bush survival
the crew at training
The crew on the mountainside during avalanche training