Last December 2016, the Universitat de València along with the Provincial Firefighters’ Consortium of Valencia signed a collaboration agreement which aims to make it possible for both institutions to exchange knowledges. On the basis of this agreement, the Consortium along with the Universitat de València have decided to celebrate jointly the 13th National Meeting of Rescue and the 1st National Meeting of Traumatology. The goal of these meetings is to enrich institutional relations and to improve and develop knowledge and action skills for when a rescue in a traffic accident is needed, both in the way of procedure and the first medical assistance that the person requires. These two meetings are the first move that is planned of more and they all aim to create bonds between the students, the teaching staff of Medicine and Pharmacy, specialists and members of the firefighters body. 

The meetings’ presentation which was celebrated this Tuesday at the Universitat has been attended by Maria Vicenta Mestre, Vice-Principal of Academic Planning, Teaching Staff and Sustainability; José Bort, provincial deputy of environment and president of the Provincial Firefighters Consortium of Valencia; Pedro Ruiz, president of the Professional Association of Rescue in Traffic Accidents (APRAT); Pere Herrera, director of the Health Emergencies Service of the Valencian Government; Federico V. Pallardó, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Julio Fernández, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry and María José Vidal, director of the Preventin and Environment Service of the Universitat de València. Two representatives of the Association of Urgent Medicine and Emergencies Students (AEMES) of the Universitat have attended, too.

The Vice Principal along with the Deans of the Faculties of Medicine and Nursing agree on the importance of training students in these actions. Mestre has stated that the training and experience students get in these events may compete the career they are studying. The Dean of Nursing and Podiatry Julio Fernández has pointed out the relevance of celebrate these sessions at the Universitat since they can are more likely to be attended by young people, the ones that will see themselves involved in these situations, both as users or as professionals that need to give assistance in traffic accidents. On his part, Pedro Ruiz, from the professional association of rescue, has emphasised the importance of training firefighters when it comes to rescue and assistance technics. In fact, he declared that they are the first ones arriving to accidents and they must act quickly in the most correct way they can. “Until now, we have been focused in rescue, but victim assistance is essential and we must create protocols and training programmes”. The deputy and the president of the Consortium José Bort agree on this topic. José has said that “firefighters are the first ones arriving to accidents and the victims’ lives rely on their actions”. Bort has pointed out that these kind of meetings are fundamental since firefighters attend an average of one traffic accident each day. Vice Principal Maria Vicenta Mestre has closed the act stating that multidisciplinary events as the ones organised for May are essential, not only in terms of professional and future health personal training, but also because these events, meetings, proposals and researchers will generate, through Final Degree’s Projects, better action movements for a near future.

More actions that are a result of this agreement

Apart from these meetings and as a result of the signed agreement, the Consortium will collaborate with the Universiat when it comes to design Self-protection Plans for buildings of the Universitat de València,  will participate in the training of the Universitat’s staff, will give advice to help the available protection resources of the academic institution improve and will also create a better operative response in case of an action is needed because of an emergency. 
 
On the other side, the Universitat, between other activities, will promote the development and implementation of training contents in terms of emergency and first aid, will promote the inclusion in Final Degree’s Projects and Master’s Degree Projects that are about emergencies and with the participation of the Consortium and will collaborate in the analytic research and support towards emergencies and will also promote training activities for UV students.