Ambulance Victoria health commander Ian Hunt said 16 paramedics from the Grampians and Barwon south-west regions were trained last week, with a further 16 trained this week.

He said they did a wilderness response course, which include a 24-hour scenario that involved camping overnight in a remote location and volunteers acting as patients.

He said the training was vital for paramedics.

“There are a lot of places that we can’t get a vehicle too, or a helicopter, and paramedics end up on foot,” he said.

“The paramedics learnt how to read weather patterns, map and compass navigation, along with camp craft.”

Mr Hunt said learning camping skills was important for overnight rescues.

“There are cases when it is dark and the best option for paramedics is too look after someone overnight and wait until it is light to get them out,” he said.

“So the need to learn how to set up camp and care for people.

“Paramedics do a dynamic risk assessment and determine if there is less risk of injury to stay where they are until it is light.

“They need to be able to carry the appropriate equipment and medical needs for a patient and paramedic to survive in a wilderness area overnight.”

The training equipped paramedics with the skills to reach patients in the wilderness, including understanding the unique environment and how to respond to it, training, and creating response backpacks with the appropriate equipment.

Mr Hunt said the wilderness response training was first trialled in the Hume region.

He said the training was needed in the Grampians National Park. “Since starting training in the Grampians, I’ve learnt that it should have been one of the first places we did it because paramedics often have to attend rescues in the park,” he said.

Mr Hunt said paramedics wouldn’t have to attend as many rescues if people were more prepared when they went for hikes.