Elsfleth. Seven men are floating in the Hunte. The air temperature is 4 °C, the water temperature is 6 °C. One and a half hours the men endure in their survival suits, then the actual work begins: Saving human lives. “The challenge is not only enduring the cold”, says Jan Gartemann, Team Leader Trainings and Quality Management VENTUSmedic Offshore Rescue and Medical Services at Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, local branch Stedingen. He has designed and supervised the training together with German Wind Academy (GWA). “The colleagues have to learn to think clearly and work sensitively while working with the patients and at the same time to regard self-protection, despite of the cold”, explains Gartemann.

The task was to wade through the mud to shore in two groups after having been in the water for one and a half hours and subsequently to treat a patient. This included initiating an access and preparing infusions. Afterwards they had to go back into the water and after another hour lighting magnesium torches and succeeding a high exit on their own. All parts of the training required team work. “Such a situation with a long time in cold water, combined with concentrated and physically strenuous work can only be accomplished together”, says Gartemann. The attendees were all members of the HEMS TC Crew, the emergency medical staff of offshore rescue helicopters. JUH is part of the integral medical care concept for offshore wind farms “WINDEAcare” and also provides the personnel for first-aid stations on offshore platforms in the North Sea. Lighting magnesium torches can be life-saving in the North Sea. Otherwise personnel that had an accident might not be found in the water.

Together with German Wind Academy JUH has developed a training concept for employees working in offshore wind farms and are also training their own personnel. An emergency medical employee onshore has to complete 30 training hours per year. “We are doing 120 hours”, emphasises Gartemann. He was especially happy that somebody joined the training who isn’t even in active service anymore. By now Martin Hilse is Head of Department of the local branch Stedingen and thus is the head of the offshore rescue team. Nevertheless, he also jumped into the Hunte and endured the training until the end.

Background: WINDEAcare

WINDEAcare is a holistic medical care concept for the offshore wind industry: Partner of this concept are beside Northern HeliCopter GmbH (HEMS), Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe e.V., Regionalverband Weser-Ems (Emergency Response and Medical Support Centre VENTUSmedic, Offshore Paramedics, Medical Trainings), Klinikum Oldenburg AöR (Medical Supervision, Telemedicine), IQ.medworks (Interdisciplinary Emergency Management, Implementation of Medicine Services) and EMS Maritime Offshore GmbH (Nautical Expertise). WINDEAcare services are distributed by WINDEA Offshore GmbH & Co. KG.

Pictures by Yvonne Wöhler (GWA).