I N D U S T R Y
UPDATE
WE KEEP WATCH SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO
Things change constantly and rapidly within the contracting industry so this month in the first of
a series of regular columns we’re very pleased indeed to have Paul Hutchinson, MD of Associated
Risks Group based in the UK, join us to keep everyone updated on legal issues.
I
would just like to start by apologising for my Rod Gilbert
style rant on “International Firearms courses” in the last
issue, I will try to calm down and I promise the medication
will start to work. Talking of medication…
Medical training in Close Protection is for most a subject
that is avoided until their current certificate is about
expire. For year’s medical courses where overlooked,
students usually attended physically but mentally
managed to be elsewhere. Medical training is one of the most
important skills any CP operative should know and continue to
practice and yet for most it’s avoided, just like any casualty they
tiptoe past!
Lets take your principal; threats fall into three category’s;
Unintentional Injury, Intentional Injury and Embarrassing
Situations. Generally the biggest threat is from medical situations
in the unintentional category, such as cardiac arrest, chocking,
angina or strokes. Accidents like falling from a horse, sports
injuries or incidents on the ski slope are a common occurrence.
However the biggest killer in the world today is still an RTC, Road
Traffic Collision.
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The issue is this; your medical training could save a life
whether it is the client, a team member or God forbid
one of your own children. A friend’s son was about 10 years old
when he started to choke on a bit of bread, they were 35,000
feet in the air at the time! Needless to say good fortune or good
training, he managed to unblock the airway and his son was fine.
But he was it… the only medical response available!
Medical training should be realistic and relevant to your Task. I
have seen details over the years with Med-kits or Trauma Bags
the user has no understanding of, or the reverse, no medical kit
at all. Medical courses such as FPOSi (First Person on the Scene
Intermediate) are basic but should be a basis to start from; courses
such as MIRA (Medicine in Remote Areas) have raised the bar
but as we move forward new courses develop such as the FREC
(First Response Emergency Care) be aware that the FREC course “a
career in the emergency services, ambulance services, the event
medical sector or those who work in high risk workplaces.” has
been developed for the Medical industry, not Close Protection.
Then there’s the matter of skill fade “If you don’t use it, you lose
it” I frequently work as a First Responder for a private Medical
company in the UK covering all manner of medical emergencies
just keep my hand in. Think of it like this, you’re getting paid
to keep your skills up to scratch. I think you will find that’s a
“win-win!”
Stay safe
pmcimagazine.com