INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Image Perspectives
Marge Dolan
Owner
Image Perspectives
Certified makeup artist Marge Dolan founded Image Perspectives, “The Injury Simulation People,” 17 years ago. Over the past 32 years, she has developed unique methods for creating realistic injury simulations using a variety of special-effects makeup materials. Her company has also developed methods for reproducing the effects of weapons of mass destruction, including biological warfare.
For 15 years, as an exercise training/ assistance officer for the Nevada State Division of Emergency Management, she was responsible under a FEMA program for the design, implementation and critique of orientation, tabletop and full-scale exercises and an integrated emergency management course. As a FEMA-certified trainer, she conducts classes in exercise design, emergency planning, disaster response and recovery, and emergency readiness exercise development. She was instrumental in the development of a Nevada debriefing program for post-disaster stress syndrome. She was a National Disaster Medical System response-team member and 24-hour duty officer.
As a certified emergency medical technician, she works closely with Nevada Emergency Medical Services in the planning and performance of emergency medical education and certification programs. Dolan was also member of the Nevada National Guard for nine years, achieving the rank of technical sergeant, E-6, and she was an instructor for the non-commissioned officer’s academy as a certified trainer in BTMS train-the-trainer for two years
Q: Can you start by giving MMT readers a little background on Image Perspectives?
A: Image Perspectives is a unique, full service company that specializes in all facets of realistic moulage—injury simulation.
Our research and development team consistently improved the quality of our custom-made simulation making vivid realistic injuries faster and easier to apply. They are also more durable for longer training periods.
We contract nationally and internationally to teach these makeup effects. Seventy-five percent of the contracts are to teach military personnel but also teach political jurisdictions, local emergency medical services, hospitals, and other civilian medical response agencies.
We also create injury simulations for training films and demonstrations, as well as organize and conduct the injury-simulation portion of large-scale mass-casualty-incident exercises in the United States and overseas.
Q: Do you also supply materials for use after you have trained a specific organization?
A: To start, we provide injury simulation— moulage—makeup training, which is a four-day, hands-on classes that includes CBRNE simulations. We also retail all of the simulation makeup and materials that we used. We carry of full line of makeup, materials and supplies including all special effects needed for realistic training scenarios.
We also contract to coordinate and implement the moulage/casualty portion of MCI, WMD and SNS/ NPS—Strategic National Stockpile/ National Pharmaceutical Stockpile— exercises. We have a database of casualty/ acting cards for a wide variety of biological and chemical agents. For example, our MCI package provides casualty cards for 150 casualties plus all instructions for setting up and organizing the moulage portion of the exercise. The BioChemical Scenario and Casualty Card package on CD includes scenario and 25 casualty cards each, for sarin, ricin, anthrax and smallpox. We are in the process of expanding this program to include more biological and chemical agents.
Q: Is there anything in particular that you believe makes your products and services different from the others?
A: Unlike other moulage suppliers who offer pre-molded simulations that are limited to selected wounds, our products can be used to realistically duplicate nearly any type of wound on any part of the body. The wounds appear to be part of the body when properly applied. Our products can be used on training mannequin as well as the human body.
Q: How are you positioned with the military health system?
A: Our reputation for excellence in realism has earned us high recommendations from satisfied military clients, nationwide and internationally. We have been an established military provider for quite some time. Seventy-five percent of our students are military and we ship products to military bases all over the world.
We are the moulage trainers for the three regional training site medical facilities in the U.S.—Fort McCoy, Wis., Fort Gordon, Ga., Camp Parks, Calif.—and we have taught for Cubic Applications Inc. at Fort Polk, La. We have also been contracted to train on-site at various military and Coast Guard facilities throughout the U.S. Additionally, we have also provided moulage instruction, and moulage for exercises, for special operations.
Our goal is to establish advanced training for the creation of major battlefield wounds and to become the one-stop shop for all moulage/exercise needs. ♦