Doesn’t matter if it is. It’s RIAT so it gets a free pass even with a red weather warning for heat…
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At this point I don’t even know if my wings doing anything. No coach trips planned for day trips like for Cosford that we cadets have heard of, and we definitely aren’t doing the extended camp which is really gutting. We assumed we would have heard something by now, especially regarding bidding processes on cadet portalp/place allocation etc. Time to chase up wing staff.
So this exists online…
OCCURRENCE SAFETY INVESTIGATION - RIAT 22 - REPORTS OF AIR CADET HEAT RELATED
ILLNES
My god, there is some stuff to pick apart in here.
If you don’t fancy reading everything, you should just read the 15 observations. One of which needs discussing in another thread which I’ll link to here:
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Absolutely no mention of the fact all other Air Cadet activity was cancelled because of the heat risk. Yet this carried on.
Also no mention that there was a red heat warning. Only the amber one. AFAIK RIAT was right on the border between the two. But loads of cadets were traveling by coach through the red area. So it’s very relevant…
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Having read this, will cadets be participating at RIAT 2023? What change if any has been made?
The bit I find most disturbing is that for an event of this size that there is no medical officer at doctor level present. Whilst my paramedic colleagues are normally very competent are the ones present basic grade or those with advanced skill?
They should NOT have to provide any extra and may have to use their own equipment in any shape or form, this should and must be supplied from the RAFAC, preferably through TMW at Brize Norton, but that would probably require TMW personnel to be present.
I stated way up the thread that a WGBT and adult scales could lead to a day in the Coroners Court. RIAT is 5 weeks away, what now?
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Probably an overall better option. Good kit, good people, and attending purely on a medical front.
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The obvious thing here is that the RAF is discovering that using RAFAC is cheap labour in conditions that it would not use its own people is not risk free.
If the RAF provided medical/reporting/operations cover for the ACO at RIAT, and charged RIAT for it, would RIAT stump up, or look to others to do the unpaid, sweaty job?
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In the case of RIAT 22, it appears that the production of Risk Assessments fell
to one individual whose output, while approved by the CFAV Camp Commander, was not
underpinned by any evidence of mandatory ‘crown employee’ scrutiny in the form of 2nd
Party Assurance.
Prepares for requirement that all risk assessments be signed off by WExO.
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Prompt CFAV monitoring and treatment from RAFAC First Aid staff, ensured that interventions were timely, and no cadets were diagnosed as suffering from heat illness.
To me, this is key and in line with my experiences.
CFAV were aware of the risk, intervened, and handled the cases. Lots of cadets got hot, but any actual heat injury was prevented.
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But then there’s this:
Task Supervisors appeared unable to respond to changing circumstances preferring instead to align rigidly with initial briefings.
The requirement to defer absolutely to direction from Task Supervisors meant that Flt Cdrs felt unable to implement local/short-term mitigations for the heat
Many of those that wanted to act felt unable to. Pretty sure this was discussed further up the thread, closer to the 22 event. The event was prioritised over cadet welfare.
Ish. Staff were unable to pull the plug, but this report is also (risking survivorship bias) a degree of evidence that it wasn’t necessary to stop and that the risk was appropriately managed.
Edit to add: Staff were right to be concerned, and raise their concerns, and ensure that appropriate action was taken. Appropriate action was (largely, with possibly a few exceptions) taken.
Finishing reading, I wish this was released formally corps-wide.
The number of times I’ve heard by rumour that there were 100s of heat injuries, that there were cadets removed in ambulances with heat stroke, etc, etc, is silly. This proves definitively otherwise and would have shut that down.
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Focusing on the first half, that could be true. But highlighted in the investigation was the frequency with which the term “hot and bothered” was used. How many of those that didn’t report to FA could have been more serious, or reported with greater emphasis?
This isn’t the RAF but the Charitable Trust, a different thing altogether.
70 odd cadets ending up in the first aid tent overall just from heat related issues? Just because they weren’t hospitalised, doesn’t mean things didn’t go wrong.
Also,
and no cadets were diagnosed as suffering from heat illness.
This is good in theory. But:
heat illness must be diagnosed by a medical doctor recording patient core temperature readings taken from a rectal thermometer. During RIAT 22, such invasive assessments were not deemed necessary for any air cadets.
So no one could have been diagnosed. Even if they were way above the core temp required to meet the criteria.
If someone’s leg looks a funny shape, I can say it’s probably broken. But I can’t diagnose it. I need an x-ray for that…
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Anecdotally, my experience of big events - airshows - where cadets were part of the infrastructure, was that ACO senior/operations staff were far more interested in the success of the task then they were in the cadet experience.
Bad news was not welcome, plans didn’t change.
Ego. “My show must go on”.
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Yep. It ends up being the way often I think.
I’ve seen it at a Wing level. Major event where the cadets form a critical part. Senior staff making decisions based on their loyalties to the event, not to the cadets. When the OIC and 2IC is a directors/trustees of the event. It happens, I complained, they are still both staff, one still a WSO…
(The above not relevant to RIAT. I think @angus just opened some old sour memories for me 
)
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Having been involved in Event Medical covering planning for events on a similar and even smaller Scale i’m surprised the RAFAC Campsite didnt atleast have official Paramedic level cover, potentially even AP/Dr. Was the purple book consulted.
The fact that they rely on volunteers to bring own kit is shocking.
Was there any notice on the recruitment for support staff that Paramedics where required or is it purely just a coincidence that these volunteers attended brought there own kit.
Is there anywhere in the various policies that state anything re paramedics using there skills/kit, anything above first aid level etc . personally havent been able to find anything.
Having spoke to a friend in the ACF I believe they have a dedicated medical support team or something similar with policies in place for people to practice within there scope and have kit provided etc. Why dont rafac do similar?
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Nope, just need a dedicated first aider with AFA 
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The ACF have one big advantage, they have Professor Sir Jonathon van Tam as their medical advisor and Hon Colonel.
Any paramedic present and please @Texan correct me if I’m wrong, are they not putting their PIN at risk by this situation, in not managing, a situation within their skills and abilities and would be judged against another paramedic with equivalent skills and abilities, not a first aider. Same as nurse would be.
It does not appear to be any thought regarding treatment protocols and SOPs etc, the RAFAC is potentially hanging them out to dry should an incident occur. I feel anybody who is going as a member of medical personnel should pull out now.
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