Simulation in motion trains first responders in Mineral County

Simulation in Motion-Montana, based in Bozeman, operates statewide, with employees living in the communities they serve, all dedicated to improving emergency health care.

Charity Stephens, a full-time simulation specialist who lives in Columbus, also works as a paramedic in Absarokee on Sundays when training isn’t scheduled. 

“It helps me keep my finger on the pulse of real-time trauma,” she said. 

Amber Collins, a part-time instructor from Billings, brings over 25 years of experience as a paramedic. Both Stephens and Collins recently participated in a mass casualty incident simulation held in the parking lot of Superior Elementary School. 

“We put participants in high-trauma situations — burns, airway obstructions, crush injuries, and circulation issues,” explained Stephens. “It’s a two-day certification course designed for EMTs and paramedics to improve team performance."

“This course focuses on pre-hospital care,” added Collins. “It prepares patients for transport with intensive simulation and hands-on training. There’s very little classroom time as it’s all about developing muscle memory through repetition.” 

Nineteen individuals participated in the weekend class, a turnout Stephens called, “A great number, especially given that these are volunteers using their free time to improve how they serve their communities.”

Simulation-based training like this plays a vital role in reducing medical errors, enhancing patient outcomes, improving team dynamics, and identifying hidden risks to patient care. 

As a nonprofit, SIM-MT is dedicated to providing high-quality simulation education to healthcare professionals across Montana, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes and team efficiency. Operating as a 501(c)(3), SIM-MT designs and runs customized, realistic scenarios to train healthcare providers in managing high-impact, low-frequency medical events. 

Their fleet of simulation vehicles travels to even the most rural areas, ensuring all healthcare facilities, regardless of size or location, can access high-fidelity training. Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized as the gold standard in prehospital trauma care and is taught in over 80 countries. It’s appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, and physicians alike.

For this weekend’s training, the entire Superior Volunteer Fire Department participated, along with one Quick Response Unit (QRU) member from St, Regis plus students from the Bitterroot, Kalispell, and Idaho The group included newer EMTs, EMTs with endorsements (allowing them to perform more advanced procedures), and four paramedics. 

Superior High School students played the role of accident victims in a simulated scenario where an elderly driver, experiencing a medical episode, drove into a crowded area, striking people and vehicles, which triggered the MCI.

Before weekend training, SIM-MT wants to know something about their students and their level of knowledge and experience. 

“Students take a pretest at home before the two-day event to assess their current knowledge,” said Stephens. “Then we run them through a series of simulations and lectures, ending with a final exam for certification, which is valid for two years.”

Scenarios covered over the weekend included lightning strikes, gas fireplace explosions, horse falls, overdoses, and even infant battery ingestion. 

“We run four scenarios at a time, each lasting about 20 minutes. Participants rotate between stations with PowerPoint lectures in between. We repeat this cycle multiple times over the weekend,” explained Stephens.

On April 13, the schedule included another round of stations, the MCI simulation, and the final exam. What if someone doesn’t pass? 

Stephens smiled, “That rarely happens. If someone struggles, we sit down with them, review the questions they missed, and talk through it. Often, it’s just a matter of the question being geared toward a paramedic’s perspective.” 

Collins added that local protocols can vary and occasionally conflict with what’s taught in the course. 

“We talk through that too,” she said. “Local medical directors can supersede state protocols, so it’s important to understand the why behind the procedures.”

Inside the gymnasium, the exam was being proctored by Lee Roberts, Program Director for SIM-MT. Outside, Dawn Bauer, an AEMT with the Superior Volunteer Fire Department and QRU, reflected on what it took to bring the class to Superior. 

“When I joined the department, I told Scott (Dodson, Fire Chief of the Superior Volunteer Fire Department) that I wanted to bring this course here. I had taken it a few times and knew how valuable it would be. It took a lot of planning as we started back in October, but it was so worth it,” she said.

The class was hosted at Superior Elementary School and funded by a grant from the Montana Department of Transportation’s Vision Zero Program, which aims to eliminate highway fatalities. The grant is administered by the Department of Public Health & Human Services’ EMS & Trauma Systems. The Helmsley Charitable Trust, a founding supporter of SIM-MT, has long been a generous ally to rural healthcare facilities, including Mineral Community Hospital. Food and beverage costs were covered by Mineral County DES and the Superior Volunteer Fire Department.

    Roni Phillips, one of the students in the Prehospital Trauma Life Support Class examines a student actor from the accident staged in the Superior Elementary School parking lot last weekend. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)