Roger
This PSA interrupts your regularly scheduled programming for eight freaking minutes. Eight minutes, to save a motorcyclists life
It's easier than you think
Preparation one: reset your trip meter as you go through each town. When I call 9-1-1
They need to know where to find my patient. Never presume then they can triangulate your position, Mr
Bond, odds are I'm on one the cell tower in the boonies, giving first responders a fuzzy radius at best
Preparation two: stock up on trauma pads. Now a million things might be
convenient in a first-aid kit, but for life-saving essentials, David rides with a Ziplock of those. I do. They're really, really useful-
Your standard first aid class taught you, to take the bandage and gently place it on the wound
That is not gonna stop serious bleeding. If someone has a major bleed, put all your weight behind it. How's that feel Ryan? Yup, fine
Final preparation is for yourself
Now we've all got medical cards and if I keep mine somewhere other than that hidden, internal, theft proof pocket like say
In the front of my pants
Well, David actually stands a chance of finding it and then when they run my cart at the hospital
They're gonna know what my name is and that I'm allergic to morphine. If your medical card is foreign and unfathomable
Or maybe you're on something weird. The paramedics should know about right away, like blood thinners
A jacket medical ID?
Those just aren't very helpful
Most of the time, if someone's seriously injured
We're just gonna cut their gear right off and leave it lying on the roadside
The only thing that's gonna come with us is going to be their helmet
Paramedics always take the helmet. It's useful because it shows where you got hit
So a medical sticker at the lower rear where it's unlikely to get scratched is the surefire way to put your info
before the right people
So, you know your distance from the last town, you've got a bunch of pads handy and hopefully the victim has a sticker on
their helmet like you do and that's our prep taken care of now on scene, action!
Paramedics never run. Their first job is to secure the scene slowly. Ensure that it's safe for patient and practitioner
If there's traffic he's sending the brightest guy up the road, the second brightest guy down the road, hazards on waving people stopped. The bigger
jam, we build the better barrier we have
Now David's looking for leaking fluid and fumes, broken glass, maybe downed power lines if a heavier vehicle is involved
It's tempting to rush the victim but paramedics never do that
and neither should you. It risks exposing your patient to further harm and simultaneously taking out their caregiver, you
if you fail to secure the scene
Job number two: start an ambulance. Getting professional help as soon as possible saves lives and besides the dispatcher is going to walk you
through what to ask, what to do, when to start CPR, how to do it, this lifeline guides you the rest of the way
That's it?
Yep, secure the scene and start an ambulance. Usually the other stuff doesn't always make a big difference in the end
But if you can do those two things, you've been hugely helpful
Ahh, nuts
Good thing we take a first-aid course once a year every year right? No?
Whoo. Well, there are too many ingredients in this cake to half-bake here
We'll cover the most common one. When motorcyclists crash, they always hit their heads
So that's why it's important to keep them nice and still until help can arrive
If there's traffic, stop it if it's safe. If there's sun, make some shade. If they are injured
It's quite possible that they've hit their head or hurt their neck
And so it's very important to keep them still until help can arrive
The only other time you'll move them is if there is something dangerous like a fire then you've just got to do what
you've got to do to move them. David also does not remove the helmet here. Helmets make excellent
stabilization tools for broken necks, leaving it on could save my life
Removing it could kill me. I love emergency relief cheek pads
They're magic, but even still, taking off the helmet is a three-man job for the professionals
So if someone's injured, just leave their helmet on and leave it alone
There are certain cases where, with training, you have to take it off like CPR
But the vast majority of the time just leave the helmet alone control bleeding and start an ambulance and that's everything you need to do
Okay control bleeding with your trauma pads, but aside from that do not move your patient
do not remove their helmet. Without 9-1-1 the biggest thing you can do is to not do those two things, while someone goes for help
But before you go know what 911 will ask
Remember the dispatchers are exactly like creeps in a chat room. They want to know my age, sex, location
What condition my body is in and if I'm single?
Riding single that is, otherwise there might be a poor pillion somewhere in the bushes
So ask these questions
I may answer well, or groggily, or not at all. That gives you an idea of my level of consciousness
Which is the other thing
911 wants to know
If I'm out cold, just guess at my age and sex. Judging by the comments
most of you already have. Then take quick stock of my bodily injuries being careful to poke leathers
these can conceal large pools of blood
Look at my bike to see if the pillion pegs are up and that indicates that I was riding single and we're unlikely to have
multiple victims. Then look at your trip meter to gauge our location
If you forgot to reset it at the last town, well reset it here. You might find cell service at the next one
So that prep looks like knowing where you are, carrying first-aid supplies, and having information sticker on your helmet
When you arrive at an accident
Slow down and secure the scene. Then start an ambulance. Everything else is gravy
That gravy though is gonna look like
keeping your patients still
keeping their helmet on, controlling deadly bleeding and making sure everyone around them is safe
See? Saving a motorcyclists life is easier than you think. I know it's heavy,
I know it's gentler to just ignore the possibility of crashing
We all need to deal with the risks we take. Now David you deal with a lot of motorcycle crashes?
Yep. You still love riding? Absolutely. You can all learn from this guy
Oh no, goodness gracious, whatever shall we do?