Sitting in the middle of a moulage training class is Anthony Saldivar, pouring vaseline, tissue and make-up on his model’s arm, making it look like it’s severely injured.
It’s part of a basic moulage training class Saldivar volunteers to teach.
“I get to make the living look dead and the dead look living,” said Saldivar, who’s also an embalmer and funeral director.
The free class to teach volunteers how to create realistic wounds is offered by the South Texas Regional Advisory Council at its offices on Highway 90 West.
STRAC provides mass casualty training to first responders across the region.
A list of about 40 makeup volunteers showed up to help prepare those who will be in the training exercise that appear to be severely injured.
Hannah Shaea is a first-time volunteer and a mortuary science student. She created a bullet wound on her arm in about 40 minutes.
“There’s no other really way to prepare for a mass casualty. You know, it kind of happens on the spot,” she said.
Her desire is to just help first responders be as prepared as they can be.
“It’s super gross and no one wants to think about it,” Shaea said. “The fact that we do have the resources, to have us be the best prepared that we can be is super important.”
To find out more about how to volunteer for STRAC or sign up for the next training class, head to their website.