The Pembroke Pines Fire Department raced against the clock recently to save passengers trapped aboard a wrecked watercraft.

The rescue call, however, wasn’t exactly life-threatening: the boating accident was staged and the injured passengers stranded at sea were all mannequins, not humans.

That’s because 10 local Fire Department teams suited up recently for the 2009 Broward Invitational, a competition pitting paramedic versus paramedic in mock rescue scenarios that simulate real-life accidents.

Contenders raced against a 15-minute clock to assess the condition of patients, recognize their medical needs and provide prompt appropriate treatment, said Pines Fire Department spokesman Shawn Hallich.

The boating accident rescue scenario netted the Pines Fire Department first-place honors in the annual Chief Michael Haygood Advanced Life Support Competition during the Broward Invitational, its second trophy in three years.

The Department also pocketed a Smart Airway Award for being the team that most accurately identified and treated a particularly difficult patient with airway problems.

For more information, call 954-435-6531, or visit www.ppines.com.

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PHOTO: From left: Pembroke Pines Fire Department Captain Marcel Rodriguez, Lieutenant Scott Gunn, Paramedic Rolando Hernandez and Lieutenant Moises Martinez pose with their Smart Airway Award won during the 2009 Broward Invitational.
Submitted Photo