All these beautiful people were led by Luc Grenier, chief organizer of the simulation and coordinator of the virtual clinical immersion center at the Shawinigan Cégep. “I am really proud of them, really proud,” told me the one who had only good words with regard to his artists and craftsmen.
Luc Grenier is not at his first year. From September, he determined the theme of simulation. Like a screenwriter, he begins to set up the kinetics, always keeping in mind that the imagined disaster must allow students to use the maximum knowledge learned during their college training.
When December arrives, Luc Grenier’s scenarios are roughly written, just enough to fix the number of extras and actors he will need to make the simulation possible. The recruitment of volunteers seems far from the most difficult part of the project. On the contrary, people who know this important educational day want to participate and contact Luc, quite naturally.
Already, it has a bank of actors from the virtual center who regularly participate in each of the Shawinigan Cégep programs.
“This big simulation, all these actors await it, they look forward to seeing the role I granted them!” he said to me, happy with the great participation of volunteers. “People know that it is for the cause of pedagogy and for students. They know that if there is an emergency here, in the city of Shawinigan and the surroundings, the speakers will be running. ”
In order to achieve this year’s scenario, around fifty actors and extras played a role. Brothers, sisters, friends of the organizers volunteered in addition to students of the Sainte-Marie seminar in Shawinigan to fill the roles of “victims” from 12 to 17 years old. Already in partnership with the high school for the stage of stage makeup, Luc Grenier was delighted to learn that he was also giving himself dramatic art lessons. He therefore went to meet young actors a few times to tell them about the scenarios.
“They were so happy to participate!” Honestly, the quality we had this year as actors, just for young people was quite remarkable. They were well prepared by their teacher and we made sure that everything was ok on their side, because it is still impressive when you live this! ”
— Luc Grenier
Sounds on the site can surprise like cries and howls. The alarm of the railroad that sounded throughout the “drama” and the din produced by the outbursts used to get out “the victims” were not easy, especially for those who remained “stuck” in the bus, where the noises resounded even more.
We must also prepare young students in view of “blood” and “wounds” because, so that the exercise is credible for future stakeholders, their comrades who study stage makeup take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to give realism to the horror scene.
As Luc Grenier determines the number of actors he needs, he immediately distributes a variety of injuries to each of the “victims” so that, during the simulation, the teachers of the carefriends can verify that each of the interventions is adequate.
-Since the return of classes in January, the stage makeup teacher, Pierre Duplessis, has had all the details concerning the injuries to be reproduced. He divides his group of students into several teams of two and attributes to each a “victim”.
Students then do research to know what a burn in the second and third degree or how an open fracture of a tibia is like crossing the skin. Once the images were found, they prepare the molds to sink their “wounds” which they will make up afterwards.
On the morning of the simulation, they arrive at 8 a.m. on the site with the same bus that leaves at the Sainte-Marie seminar looking for the actors to make up. Fifteen minutes later, the make -up artists begin to install the “wounds” and realize the finish on “the victims”.
“It is beautiful for them to live this, they are an integral part, downright, of that simulation,” rejoices the chief organizer.
At 10:15 am, all make -ups are made and the actors can take place.
The place of the “film set” has also changed. Before, the simulation took place on the Cégep terrains, but being too close to the virtual hospital, the emergency prehospital care students had only one minute with the “victims” in the ambulance. This year, they were able to benefit from ten minutes to intervene during transport.
The scene was most realistic. (Stéphane Lessard/Le Nouvelliste)
Before concluding our exchange behind the scenes of the simulation, I asked Luc Grenier if amputated people were among his actors. A great lover of science fiction, disaster and horror films, since I found myself amputated to the four members, not because of a train accident, but well due to a lightning attack by the flesh-eating bacteria, I dream of playing a role that would highlight my difference!
Well, my dream could come true! Currently, it is a high fidelity robot model provided by the Gaumard company which, with its wrapped leg, occupies the function of simulating a large trauma during these “catastrophe” days.
Except that … this is not a completely tailor -made role for me. Despite the fact that the model is still alive at the start of the simulation, he stops breathing after about twenty minutes, controlled remotely by the representative of the company. As in real life, future stakeholders are faced with the death of a patient, it doesn’t matter that he received the right maneuvers.
“It is not because they made a mistake, but because it happens,” concludes Luc Grenier, aware of the greatest difficulty of the profession that his students will exercise in a few months.
