A German team took first place in the 2008 CIOMR first aid competition. Forty-nine teams competed in the annual event that tests the medical response skills of reservists. Each team of four competitors who went through a planned scenario and were judged on their reactions to an injured person in a simulated wartime environment.

Team scores were based on whether patients were traiged appropriately under different security situations, as well as how patients were treated from a medical perspective.

The competitors were also judged by law-of-armed-conflict judges who worked from eight identical stations, with four judges at each station.

First aid scenarios involved insurgents, different levels of injury, unconscious injuries, application of handcuffs, and searching for weapons. Lt.-Col. Bev Houghton, deputy chief scorer, said the total maximum points possible was 285. One of the Germans teams scored 277.

“We saw a lot of diverse skill levels,” she said. “We saw some good teamwork out there. Every year it is exciting to see who wins the competition. The teams who do well have prepared – you can tell by their reactions.”

Lt.-Col. Houghton said the CIOMR training and competition is important because today’s soldiers need to be able to handle diverse situations, including medical response during urban combat.