With Margaret and I beginning to ride together we felt it might be a good idea to learn what to do in case of an accident. No rider wants to go through that possibility but the reality is that it can happen. When it happens the more someone might know about what to do at an accident scene could save the victim's life. Fort Worth HOG scheduled a class with Road Guardians on July 20 and July 21 for its members. As soon as we were informed about it we reserved a spot for both of us. The road captains in our chapter are required to take the course and keep their certifications active. We just thought it would be good for ourselves.
The Basic Course
There were 2 courses offered, the basic and advanced. We took both. If you had taken the basic within the last 2 years you could just take the advanced to re-certify. Quite a few of our road captains were able to do this. Margaret and I along with quite a few others from our chapter had to start with the basic class. There were 22 riders that completed the 2-day course from our chapter.
The basic class taught how to stabilize the victim, control traffic, secure the scene, and the information needed for a 911 call. The course also included basic first aid, techniques for rolling a victim, and how to find and determine the extent of injuries. It was fascinating and I had never really considered all of the necessary steps that need to be taken at an accident scene.
The Advanced Course
The advanced class the next day focused on details taught in the basic class. Scenarios were set up to practiced stabilizing a riders head while rolling him. We learned how to get them on a stretcher. We were taught when to remove a helmet and how to remove it if you have to. More first aid included applying a tourniquet and applying pressure to arteries to stop bleeding.
At the end of the second day the instructor surprised us with a mock accident outside from which our team had to take control of the situation properly until EMS arrived. They had a vehicle that had hit a motorcycle. The driver was trying to get back into his car to drive away, the motorcycle was on top of the rider, and the bike passenger had been thrown and injured quite a ways away from the scene. We had to begin making immediate decisions on what to do. The 2 days were quite intense but we had a lot of fun learning with the others from our chapter.
The Course Built Confidence
There was a lot of learning involved and I am glad to have done it all. I don't think I perfected everything taught and probably cannot remember every point. I do feel confident that I would have a better idea of how to proceed if an accident occurred though. Until taking these classes I wouldn't have had any real idea of what to do and how to do it safely and correctly.
I think taking both classes is important and applaud you both for being prepared for what ever rider hopes never happens.