First Aid Training and Real World Use

[CraginS]

As of last Sunday I have now been on hand and helped deal with two broken arms at flying sites in less than a year. Last spring it was a PG pilot (compound fracture) at Woodstock launch. This weekend it was a HG pilot (simple fracture) at Pulpit LZ.
Coming right on the heals of last week's CHGPA meeting program on emergency site management by Steve Weiss from SMRG, I thought this a good time to throw some thoughts out for the community.

First - if you are a HG or PG pilot, please get some level of first aid training. The more people on scene who have had even rudimentary 1st aid training, the easier it is to coordinate care.
My training has been from the Boy Scouts and Red Cross and I have retrained every two to four years (officially the certificate expires at two years) since about 1987. As it happens, I am not currently certified in either 1st aid or CPR. However, that deos not mean I have forgotten everything.

Now.. which training to get?
The easiest and least costly training in terms of both cash and time is Red Cross Fist Aid. Basic 1st aid is about half a day or one evening, and basic 1st aid with CPR is a full day. Ist aid seems to run less than $50, and 1st aid with CPR less than $100.
To find courses, contact a local Red Cross chapter. Chapter web sites are availbel from
http://www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp

According to Steve Weiss at the CHGPA meeting, normal 1st aid training (he did not mention Red Cross by name), does not really prepare you for the types of situations we may face out in the boonies, like where we fly. For that environment, you really need Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training. The important aspect of WFA training appears to be preparing for the environment and practicing improvising materials and care, especially for splinting. SInce I have not had WFA, I leave it to Matthew or Karen to amplify on the description.
I have done initial research on the web, and found two organizations that offer WFA training in the mid-Atlantic rgions, indluding around the DC area,
SOLO Schools
http://www.soloschools.com/wfa.html
and the Wilderness Safety Council
http://www.wfa.net/

WFA seems to be a 16 to 18 hour, two full day, class, and costs are in the $160 tp $100 range.

WFA.Net (WSC) is offering WFA in Alexandria on December 3-4.

This post is now long enough, so I'll end it here. If anyone wants to know about how the care teams did, what decisiosn we made, and why, at WS and Pulpit, let me know and I'll write a follow up post.

Cragin

[hang_pilot]

Thanks, Cragin. We clearly need people like you who know what to do in an emergency. From looking at the links you sent, here are the two courses forthcoming in our area and the costs.

Alexandria, VA, December 3-4, $160
http://www.wfa.net/coursedates.shtml

Frederick, MD, March 5-6, $195
http://www.teamlinkinc.com/class_scdedule.htm

~Daniel

[mcelrah]

Cragin,
I for one would like to read about the details of your first aid
experiences this year.
- Hugh

[stevek]

I keep meaning to do that.

A long time ago somebody slammed in downwind at the Pulpit. It was a really violent crash and I went running out expecting to find someone dead or seriously injured. But he was standing there with his helmet off and inspecting his glider. He said he was ok. I offered to break the glider down and carry it back. He said he would do it. So I figured what the heck and went back to my glider. A short while later when he had made no move to break down his glider another pilot (I think Rob Millman ) walked out to check on him. Rob noted the following: One of his pupils was the size of a dime and the other the size of a pencil point. He did not know what day it was or where he was. We took him to the hospital. So I was pretty much of a bust as a first responder.

[Gene]

When you offered to break down his glider he went into shock
Hurt him with kindness. Gene

Quick note, assesment and awareness is the biggest challenge in deciding what has been damaged. Training helps.

[Scott]

Last year I reviewed an excellent book in the Skyline:
http://skyline.chgpa.org/skyline_2004-winter.pdf

It's called Wilderness First Responder, and you can find it at Borders, Amazon, etc. I guarantee that if you read and study every chapter in this book, you will know at least as much (probably more) than you'd learn in a course. That said, I haven't done this yet---and need to! (And a course is still valuable, since you can practice everything.)

Scott

[Scott]

Here's a link to Wilderness First Responder on Amazon. Every pilot should own a copy. $23 plus shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Scott