This was one of the reasons the advanced first aid classes in my college included a simulated disaster with volunteers playing the victims, confidence is a big part in these things and we wanted to help instill that confidence in our students. Still, not knowing if you should act or let well enough alone can be tough, there always seems to be someone more qualified around at things and unless your training includes triage, a scene like this can be overwhelming.
But yeah, sometimes keeping people from injuring themselves further and helping to make them comfortable is the right thing to do. There are people who are paid to safely move people, who have all the right equipment and experience. If people are stable, waiting for them is generally the right thing to do.
I'm tempted to take one of those classes. But to be honest, I'm also not sure if it ultimately would benefit that much. It's one thing to run through a simulation of a accident such as this but knowing no one is actually hurt and that it's just a simulation... and another to be in an actual situation with people screaming around you and having witnessed the van plowing into people... even now I close my eyes to not see it happen. It's too fresh.
I have to respect the half dozen or so people who were at that van and pushed it up far enough to slide the person out from under the van. I don't know if I could have done that. I had enough problems handling what I did.
Still... I think I will look into that advanced first aid class. I might not like Salem State College (I went there, I have reason to dislike it) but if they have a decent program for this, it'll be worth the money.
Might not be under that name, Red Cross actually discontinued the program while I was still in college. BLS (Basic Life Support) was the replacement program from them, intended to be a class for people like Law Enforcement, who aren't medical but are often the first people at a scene. All that was 20 odd years ago, so I don't know what the current state is. (We had a strange student run organization that handled this under the Red Cross rather than the school (though I think we got PE credits or some such out of it.) You might consider going to the local Red Cross chapter, giving a little run down of your experience and suggesting what courses might make you feel better prepared. (Maybe an Emergency Preparedness course or something might have a practical section) Some friends of mine went on to take EMT courses, which is probably the ultimate in preparedness training, since it concludes with ambulance ride-alongs
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But yeah, sometimes keeping people from injuring themselves further and helping to make them comfortable is the right thing to do. There are people who are paid to safely move people, who have all the right equipment and experience. If people are stable, waiting for them is generally the right thing to do.
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I have to respect the half dozen or so people who were at that van and pushed it up far enough to slide the person out from under the van. I don't know if I could have done that. I had enough problems handling what I did.
Still... I think I will look into that advanced first aid class. I might not like Salem State College (I went there, I have reason to dislike it) but if they have a decent program for this, it'll be worth the money.
Rob H.
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