WEST DES MOINES – The Des Moines University Clinic is partnering with West Des Moines Emergency Medical Services to conduct a sports emergency medicine training at the MidAmerican Energy Recplex on Thursday.

Brian Rayhons, the Deputy Chief of West Des Moines EMS, said that training on the Recplex’s ice rink gives first responders important experience for when they need to respond to a real emergency.

“They all get to practice doing what we do on the ice. It just adds a whole other element to to our job of, you know, we’re prepared to respond in any emergency.” Rayhons said.

Des Moines University had athletic trainers attend the training to help West Des Moines EMS work on coordinating the transfer of care of an injured athlete.

“It’s not just us knowing what’s best for the patient, it’s utilizing those athletic trainers to help us make that determination, because this really is their specialty. You know, we like to know a lot a little about a lot, whereas they know a lot about this fine detail of these sporting events.” Rayhons said.