Falck News Letter

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EMPLOYEES MAGA ZINE
A groundbreaking
experience
Dear colleagues
Falck has existed for 109 years.
Internationally, however, we
are still young – and still just
a small company, even though
we have hired more than
25,000 people in five continents in the last 15 years. We
plan to continue into new territories, and we know that this
will create more challenges.
We are moving fast. Blink, and
you may miss the next check
mark.
We constantly learn from
our new colleagues. We know
that even if we have been in
this process for years, we don’t
have all the answers, all the
access or all the know-how. On
the contrary, we believe that in
a world of big challenges and
even bigger opportunities, we
must work together to fend off
the challenges and risks that
are there. >
CEO Allan
Søgaard
Larsen
Literally. Set in a town devastated by an earthquake,
the participants of the Modex exercises had to dig
beneath the debris to rescue victims.
Falck gear: Inside FSS Canada’s
simulation theatre
Rescuers get pushed to their limits
during Specrat 2015
JULY/AUGUST 2015
Strengthening ties with Uruguay
Falck introduced to Uruguay in an event organized by the Danish embassy in Montevideo.
On 21 April 2015, public authorities, representatives of private institutions and media
representatives became acquainted with
Falck’s services through a presentation made
by the Falck Group.
Yann Hedoux, vice president of Falck Emergency Latin America, spoke about the history
of Falck, the areas of service that make us
known worldwide and how we chose to enter
the Uruguayan market through Unidad Coronaria Móvil (UCM), the pioneer of prehospital
medical emergency in Uruguay.
“Falck’s global vision is based on local
strategies which enable us to offer the quality services that we provide in the different
countries we are in. In Uruguay, we do this
through UCM,” said Yann Hedoux.
Shared values
Rosario Gonzalez, CEO of UCM, emphasized
how Falck and UCM share values that have
helped them become leaders in the emergency services market.
“The same values underpin UCM’s success in
remaining a leading player, thanks to the new
health projects carried out in Uruguay with the
support of Falck,” said Rosario Gonzalez.
L-R: Felipe Iragorri, investment manager, Tribeca; Hans Jensen, Executive Vice President, Emergency Latin
America, Australia, Middle East, Africa & Southern Europe (LAMAS); Grete Sillasen, ambassador of Denmark
in Uruguay; Yann Hedoux, Senior Vice President, Emergency Latin America; Rosario Gonzalez, CEO, UCM;
Alex Dub, Regional Representative, Emergency LAMAS; Jorge Diaz, manager of institutional relations UCM
Grete Sillasin, Danish ambassador to Uruguay, described the meeting as an important
opportunity to get to know Falck.
“Falck is a positive influence for Denmark
and the rest of the world. The government of
Denmark is committed to further strengthening ties with Uruguay and the Falck Group
has done a lot in this regard,” she said.
A FEW WORDS FROM THE CEO
>
Half of 2015 has now gone by and
when you work for a worldwide company like ours, the wheels are spinning
all the time. We have settled in Catalonia; we are progressing satisfyingly in
the USA and the UK; India and Malaysia
look interesting long-term. Many, many
other projects are in the pipeline.
This is good news. Not only because
some of this is new business and part of
our plan of helping more and more people in need all over the world, but also
because we relish the challenges that
follow when we face a new
country, a new culture,
a new mentality.
PAGE 2 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
Not everything we do is a success. We
have our setbacks as everyone else. In
general, however, we have been making good progress in most areas in 2015.
This does not mean we are content with
the present state of affairs. Instead, we
remain constructively discontent as we
continue to explore our opportunities.
We have so much to give but also so
much to learn.
Stay curious and ambitious.
Allan Søgaard Larsen
Saving Neverland
Victims trapped under collapsed buildings,
amputated legs, operations day and night:
a recap of Modex 2015.
An earthquake has struck Neverland and has
caused a tsunami. The local government has
received reports about many collapsed villages in all provinces. Water, gas, electricity and
telecommunication infrastructures have been
severely damaged and the road network interrupted. Many citizens have gone missing –
some trapped under collapsed buildings.
The local government of Neverland has
sent a request for assistance to the EU Civil
Protection Mechanism. Thankfully, Advanced
Medical Posts (AMP) Belgium, the Urban
Search and Rescue team (USAR) from Hungary and Lithuania, the Technical Assistance
and Support team (TAST) from Austria, and
the European Union Civil Protection Team
(EUCPT) all came to the rescue.
Day and night
The operation lasted for days on end. The
USAR teams from Hungary and Lithuania
worked together day and night, digging beneath the rubble, hoping to salvage what
was left of Neverland. The EU also sent a field
hospital to Neverland called AMP, where the
Belgian team helped casualties with all kinds
of wounds. TAST Austria was at the base of
operations, assisting the coordination team
technically and logistically by setting up communications, working areas and shelter.
All because of Modex
Fortunately for the citizens of Neverland, the
teams were well trained and prepared, coordinating well with each other. Even more fortunate was that everything was only a part of the
Modex exercises. No victim was harmed and the
devastated region of Neverland was pure fiction.
The Modex exercises aim to give the participating states’ modules, teams and experts
PAGE 3 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
the opportunity to test European cooperation in the realistic environment of a functional field exercise, to test the integration
of functions and experience the operational
and political complexity of international
disaster response. In 2014 and 2015, three
full-scaled exercises have been organised
for USAR and AMP/S modules, TAST and EUCPT experts of the European Civil Protection
Mechanism.
Falck organized this year’s cycle of exercises
in cooperation with the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) National Resilience and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue United Kingdom,
the Safety Region of Twente Netherlands and
the Danish Education Centre in Langvang.
Always prepared
Make-believe or not, the participants did well.
Pekka Tiainen from the European Commis-
Tricky and tough conditions
USAR Lithuania had to search a collapsed multilevel parking garage, where several people were trapped in their vehicles. They also had to search a
collapsed shopping centre, where many customers and employees were
trapped. To retrieve the survivors underneath the debris, they had to use
heavy equipment as concrete had to be penetrated to pull several survivors out. On one of the nights, they also had to use their road rescue skills
to rescue a girl from a difficult location, who was located by a Neverlander
using his camera drone.
USAR Hungary had to search a kindergarten where children were trapped
underneath the debris. They also worked at a collapsed apartment until
daylight, where they managed to rescue a man out of a multi-storey building. Not only did their roping skills come in handy, but also the physical
strength of the whole team. They also searched Neverland’s old train station where they managed to find more survivors.
Both teams exchanged information and equipment and worked closely
together. They were aided by dogs specifically trained to locate people.
Casualties constantly flowed in the AMP. One night, one of the doctors
that had to assist USAR Lithuania by amputating one of the legs of a Neverlander. The same had to be done to a 10-year-old boy who was rescued
by USAR Hungary. The most severe case involved a surgery of a young girl
whose back was penetrated by an umbrella. It took hours of surgery, but
the girl survived.
PAGE 4 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
The Union Civil Protection
Mechanism (the Mechanism)
The overall objective of the Mechanism is to strengthen the cooperation
among Member States in the field of
civil protection and between the Union and the Member States in order to
facilitate coordination to improve the
effectiveness of system for preventing,
preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters.
In accordance with the principle of
subsidiarity, the Mechanism activates
support on request of a Member State
overwhelmed by a disaster or any affected country in the world. By pooling
the civil protection capabilities of the
participating states, the Mechanism
can ensure better protection primarily
of people, but also of the natural and
cultural environment and of property.
sion Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
(ECHO), shared his impression of this year’s
Modex exercise:
“All the learning objectives were met and
the exercise itself was a success. One characteristic of the module exercises is that they
are not steered exercises. The exercises were
steered indirectly via injects and events so all
the operational decisions have been made
by the EU Civil Protection team and modules
management. The exercise was carried out in
a very professional way,” he said.
“Falck’s involvement has been very strong.
Not only because they have a service contract
with the European Commission, but also because of the commitment and professionalism of the staff who worked with the exercise.
The service approach from Falck’s side was
clearly evident during both the preparation
phase and the exercise. The experience they
have gained from organising module exer-
cises during the past years was evident,” he
added.
Well organised
The evaluators of the event were equally
impressed by the participants’ performance.
The head evaluator, Hanne Nielsen of Beredskabsstyrelsen (Emergency Management
Agency), Denmark said:
“It was a well organised, well executed exercise with an outstanding preparation. The
participants had a whole city devastated with
accidents to deal with, and upon arrival they
had to prioritise where to start the rescue. The
injects were realistic and the role players were
really professionals. Those who were working in
the base of operations were flexible, polite and
were solution finders. Safety, security and documentation was comprehensive. All of the smallest details were taken care of: from the stretchers, to food, to the people in action,” she said.
Our Falck team responsible for organising and
running this event. Good work, guys!
Henrik Peder Pedersen, Jens Poul Madsen,
Veronique Császár, Morten Sønderby Sørensen,
Charlotte Wevers, Bjarne Jørgensen
The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is the operational
heart of the Mechanism and is operated by DG ECHO (European Commission
Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection).
The role of the ERCC is to facilitate and
support the mobilisation and coordination of Member States’ civil protection assistance during emergencies.
It provides countries with access to
a platform of civil protection means
available amongst all the participating
states. Any country inside or outside
the European Union affected by a major disaster can make a request for assistance through the ERCC.
A training programme has been set up
with a view to enhance the coordination of civil protection assistance interventions by ensuring compatibility and
complementarity between the intervention teams and other intervention
support as well as by improving the
competence of the experts involved.
The exercise programme comprises
joint table-top exercises, full-scale field
exercises, as well as more specific exercises for modules.
The European Commission financially supports a general training programme and several large exercises
per year. The exercises on civil protection modules, TAST and EUCPT fit into
this exercise framework and are fully financed by the European Commission.
PAGE 5 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
United Kingdom
255 employees
Belgium
50 employees
Netherlands
360 employees
Germany
1,900 employees
Denmark
12,700 employees
Norway
440 employees
Switzerland
1 employee
Canada
48 employees
Falck
around
the globe
You are a part of something big
– and it is only growing bigger.
We know it is hard to keep track,
so we mapped everything out
to bring you up to date.
USA
4,250 employees
Mexico
20 employees
El Salvador
95 employees
Panama
140 employees
Trinidad & Tobago
35 employees
Ecuador
130 employees
Columbia
2,700 employees
Venezuela
360 employees
Chile
Emergency
110 employees
Brazil
320 employees
Uruguay
1,150 employees
PAGE 6 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
Portugal
65 employees
Spain
630 employees
France
320 employees
Sweden
2,700 employees
Poland
3,120 employees
Finland
125 employees
Estonia
25 employees
Czech Republic
90 employees
Slovakia
1,825 employees
Romania
210 employees
Turkey
3 employees
Kazakhstan
320 employees
Azerbaijan
15 employees
Russia
1 employee
China
4 employees
Thailand
16 employees
Vietnam
8 employees
Malaysia
85 employees
Papua New Guinea
10 employees
Singapore
15 employees
Australia
160 employees
Nigeria
130 employees
Angola
1 employee
Italy
35 employees
Qatar
8 employees
PAGE 7 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
United
Arab Emirates
21 employees
Sri Lanka
65 employees
India
135 employees
Emergency training
at its finest
Car accident casualty evacuation, child delivery, infant resuscitation
and many more were in store in this year’s SpecRat exercises.
Falck rescuers fear
no heights!
By Aleksander Hepner
SpecRat is a unique four-day workshop covering a
range of emergency medical issues organized by
a group of passionate rescuers and directed especially to rescuers working in two-man teams. SpecRat 2015 took place at the High Peaks Farm in
Rzędkowice in the south of Poland, a picturesque
location offering the participants comfortable accommodation, a spacious lecture hall and rooms
for training.
Triage, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
scenarios, airway management, working with
casualties, mountaineering and cave exploration – these were the key points of the third EMS
SpecRat training organized by a team of rescuers from Falck Medycyna in Rzędkowice, Poland.
Three lectures on child delivery, infant resuscitation, the treatment of casualties and advanced airways management were followed by
intensive exercise sessions conducted day and
night.
The view from the top of a rock.
Looks like our colleagues are
getting ready to climb.
Not your average EMS training
The participants used a wide range of equipment provided by Falck Medycyna: an ambulance, a set of haemostatic dressings, an ALS
manikin, an intubation head, a childbirth manikin, an advanced intubation set, tools for IO (intraosseous infusion), emergency tracheotomy,
and pleural drainage.
PAGE 8 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
The rescuers also had the chance to
learn mountaineering techniques, to check
how good they are at casualty positioning,
childbirth assistance, and umbilical cord
catheterization. There was still time to learn
how to use the latest EMS equipment, and
to train for some ALS scenarios, mass accident scenarios (both triage and re-triage),
patient evacuation and the use of vacuum
mattresses and scoop stretchers.
Some exercises took place at night,
among the rocks that surround the training
ground. The scenarios for this part of the
training required the rescuers to offer help
to a casualty lying deep down among the
rocks, and to attend to a drug-intoxicated
patient.
Work hard, play hard
There was time for entertainment too. The
entire surrounding area of the High Peaks
Perhaps the blocker is not too comfortable, but it can save your life!
Farm was also packed with a range of limestone rocks of different heights and difficulty levels (10-35 metres) – making it a perfect
spot for those, who in their free time craved
to have a little more physical strain.
In the company of a certified mountain
guide, those who managed to curb fear and
squeeze themselves through the claustrophobic tunnels of the Berkowa Cave will surely remember the escapade for a long time!
Wojtek Diadia (front and centre) with the
representatives of Falck Záchranná and
Anna Szewczyk, assistant of the CEO of
Falck Medycyna.
Animal tissue was used in
anti-bleeding
practices. Can you say rea
listic?
This year, Wojciech Diadia (station
co-ordinator for two stations in Pruszków and Grodzisk Mazowiecki), Marcin Soboń (Sochaczew), Aleksander
Hepner (Grodzisk) joined forces with
Agnieszka Gock, Łukasz Gock (Przeworsk), Maciej Brasse (Pruszków) and
Aleksandra Wałdowska (Kętrzyn) in
order to offer cutting-edge, innovative trainings for several dozen volunteering rescuers from Poland and
abroad.
More trainings coming soon! For
details about the autumn edition of
SpecRat, visit the Facebook page SpecRat2014 or contact Anna Szewczyk
at [email protected].
THE SOPHUS FALCK MEDAL OF HONOUR
Rewarding
dedication
Every October, colleagues who embody the Falck values and spirit in
their effort of helping those in need are awarded the Sophus Falck
medal of honour. This has been a tradition since 1956.
Every year, stories of colleagues going the extra mile and risking
their lives for others are told. Now is the time for you to tell yours.
If you know of any colleagues whom you think deserve to be
awarded the Sophus Falck medal of honour, make sure to share their
stories and nominate them!
Send your nominations before the 16th of August 2015 to [email protected]
PAGE 9 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
FALCK GEAR
Inside FSS Canada’s Survival
Training Simulation theatre
When a helicopter has an
emergency landing or
ditching, the conditions
can be unpredictable.
METSTM Model 50 Helicopter
simulator is being lowered
into rough conditions in
the pool for a military demonstration. This photo
was taken moments before
the helicopter submerges
into the water and inverts,
leaving passengers to safely
escape underwater while
being watched closely by
rescue divers. Once it is fully
submerged, the students inside will undo harnesses and
jettison the window exits to
escape to the surface.
By Ben Rossong, Falck Safety Services Canada
(FSSC)
The Survival Training Simulation theatre (STSTTM) is a component of FSS Canada’s Offshore Survival training, together with the
Modular Egress Training Simulator (METSTM).
Think of the METSTM as the helicopter and the
STSTTM as the environmental theatre.
The STSTTM can recreate the different
PAGE 10 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
harsh conditions that one could face at sea.
It is capable of recreating waves, wind, rain,
and black out conditions. It is equipped with
sound effects and lighting to simulate thunder, lightning, helicopter flight and emergency situations. It also has hoisting mechanisms,
a skyscape, life rafts and a cold tank. The STSTTM provides students with a realistic training environment to ensure they are prepared
for the real thing.
FALCK GEAR
Take a look at the inside of the STST
2
3
4
5
11
6
7
10
1
8
9
1. Simulation theatre
2. Effects control panel
3. 8 Emergency stops
4. Wind fans (+ 140 KM Winds)
5. Wave ball
6. Variable Speed Rescue Hoist
7. Downwash Fans
8. Simulator Remote Control
9. Surround Sound Audio
10.Special Effects Lightning/Strobe
11.Cameras
Offshore Survival Training
Additional features:
• 8 emergency stops in theatre
• Programmable wave patterns using WOW wave
ball technology
• Custom wind, fog, rain and darkness levels
• Surround sound effects for aircraft, thunder,
gunfire and emergency signals
• Jumping platform and scramble nets
• Cold water tank
• Underwater camera systems/lighting systems
• Water current jets
FSSC’s package of offshorespecific courses is meant to
give offshore workers an understanding of the hazards
associated with helicopter
over-water transportation. It
provides knowledge on personal safety as well as survival equipment – whether
landing on the helideck of a
ship or an offshore platform.
PAGE 11 FALCK HELP JULY/AUGUST 2015
It also introduces them to
emergency response procedures to prepare them
for water impact followed
by an exit on the surface or
underwater. In other words,
if worse comes to worst and
the passengers of a helicopter are forced to abandon,
they will be well prepared.
Hello Peter and Jørgen,
Dear Falck,
Dear Peter,
Regarding the article on Falck gear (page 5)
in the May edition: It says that there are oxygen containers in the Dutch firetruck but I
hardly think that’s the case. Remember it’s
a rule in trade magazines that you always
check technical terms – in all languages.
As a fireman in the municipality and a former Falck employee I’d love to be of help if
you need it. Sincerely,
Thanks for your email. You’re right.
I don’t think the firemen would
like it if the containers were full of
oxygen. Thanks for your input. It is
always welcome.
Sincerely,
Jørgen Mieiritz
Region director
Smørum, Denmark
Peter Seloy
Chief of stand-by force
Albertslund, Denmark
Thank you for showing interest in
the newsletter and for reaching
out to us with your comments.
Falck gear is a new feature that
we are trying out in Help, and we
have received many comments
about the Dutch fire truck. The
next time we feature another
Falck gear, I’ll make sure to contact you both to help us out.
Perhaps you would like to submit something from Smørum or
Albertslund?
Let me know!
Kind regards,
Jedediah Morales
Help Editor,
Copenhagen, Denmark
#FALCKPEOPLE
From sirens to
wedding bells
This blushing bride and beaming groom is Veronika Dzurňáková and
Zdeno Dzurňák of Falck Zachranna.
Veronika works as a paramedic and Zdeno works as an ambulance
driver at the Dubnica nad Váhom station in Slovakia. It was love at first
sight – or perhaps, love at first emergency assignment. They met for the
first time back in May 2013, began working together and fell in love.
Two years later, they tied the knot, vowed to be together in sickness
and in health – literally.
Congratulations and best wishes to our colleagues!
Published by:
Falck Danmark A/S
Polititorvet
1780 Copenhagen V
Denmark
Help is the Falck Group’s internatio­nal
newsletter for Falck employees.
Please send enquiries, comments,
etc. to [email protected]
Editor-in-chief:
Frederik Madsen, Falck,
tel. + 45 4043 0250
Graphic Production:
KLS Grafisk Hus A/S
Editor: Jedediah Morales, Falck
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