Over the last weekend in September nine participants braved the wind and rain to complete specialist rehabilitation cell training for the UK Emergency Medical Team.
Hosted at the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Training Centre, and led by Humanity & Inclusion with support from UK-Med, the multi-disciplinary team experienced the pressures of deployment to a disaster.
Richard Armitage, a GP in Nottingham who completed the training, found the training particularly useful to work out what his role meant in the context of the specialised rehabilitation cell – “The broad scope of the training was very impressive. From the build-up emails leading to the weekend, the granular detail of the event itself, and the depth of experience of the training team made this an informative as well as an enjoyable weekend.”
This capability ensures that the UKEMT can effectively enhance rehabilitation care in disaster response and recovery, support local capacity where available and ensure a continuum of care beyond their departure from the affected area. The UK’s Emergency Medical Team’s dedicated rehabilitation specialist cell, led by Humanity and Inclusion UK, is the first to be classified by WHO, increasing the likelihood of deployment.
There will be other training opportunities in 2020 so any interested members should keep an eye out.
Introducing the new Project Director for the UK Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT)
Nick Lobel-Weiss recently took up the role of Project Director for the UK Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT) UK Department of International Development (DFID).
Nick comes to the EMT from London Resilience, the group hosted by the London Fire Brigade which coordinates London’s multi-agency response to emergencies that impact the Capital. Previously, Nick was the Manager of Training and Exercising at NHS England, serving as the deputy regional incident manager for numerous incidents impacting London.
Originally from New York City, Nick served as an emergency medical technician as part of the FDNY 911 Emergency Medical Services System, eventually overseeing a division of EMS and corporate partnerships for St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital (Now Mount Sinai Medical Center). Nick was later tapped to be the Director of Health and Medical for The New York City Office of Emergency Management.
Outside of New York and London, Nick has helped to manage emergency responses in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake, in Haiti following the 2010 Earthquake and in Liberia during the Ebola Outbreak.
Many might be surprised to know that Nick brings some unexpected experience to the UK EMT. He began his career in a seemingly incongruous field: Broadway musicals.
“It’s true,” Nick explains. “I spent my first 10 years managing commercial theatrical productions. I obtained my EMT certification only because I knew it would make me a better manager. What I didn’t know is how important that training would become later on.”
Nick served as a manager for many Broadway shows and tours including Beauty and The Beast, The Who’s Tommy, Annie, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Riverdance and The Lion King.
“Touring productions are a surprisingly similar model to the EMT. It’s all about moving people and stuff, then enabling them to do what they do so well,” he said with a smile.
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