Re: Guts Merit Badge (was Don't lose your textbook)
Paul H. Brown (phbrown@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Wed, 31 Jan 1996 11:54:13 -0500
>
> I know that oftentimes, the time spent in getting hold of some piece of
> equipment to effect a rescue is time well spent. But in some cases, the
> time spent could cost the life of the victim, only managing to enable the
> safe recovery of a body.
This is what the "by the numbers" rescue training teaches: don't turn a
search and retrieval for one body into a search and retrieval for
multiple bodies. This is what happens often to firefighters & others in
oxygen-deficient atmospheres: they see their buddy collapse and rush in
to grab and "save" them. I think the record is four individual would-be
rescuer/victims, after the initial victim succumbed.
> We certainly don't want an attempted rescue to turn into a multiple tragedy,
> as so often happens around here, with all the river activities in the area,
> but often, emotions can take over and send us in over our heads.
We can, however, teach swimming skills and lifesaving skills. These will
allow a river rescue to take place. Whether to rescue in an individual
instance is up to the rescuer, but without the swimming skills no rescue
is possible, at all.
>
> I guess that what I am rambling on about is that while training for these
> situations is a valuable way to build a database of possible solutions to a
> rescue problem, the actual rescue will come from somewhere else, some place
> inside.
>
Yes, but the skills have to be there when the place inside says: GO. If
we just teach body recovery skills, then the rescue skills won't be there.
YiS,
Paul H. Brown, UC, GW District, National Capital Area Council, BSA
phbrown@capaccess.org
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