The Frankford Forward meeting on October 3rd was turned over to the folks from Temple University Hospital for unique kind of First Aid training.
Scott Charles, Temple University Hospital’s trauma outreach coordinator, and Tim Bryan, director of emergency medical services, worked with Wayne Jacobs (director of the recidivism-prevention program X-Offenders for Community Empowerment) to develop Fighting Chance—a two-hour, first-aid class that focuses on how to treat gunshot victims.
Living in the city, we may encounter violence first hand at some time. You are more likely to be a witness to it rather than a victim. Many people who have been in that situation, have had to stand by helplessly as the victim of an accident or attack died while waiting for the emergency responders to arrive.
This new training is intended to give the victim a “Fighting Chance” to get to the hospital alive. If they get that far, the chance of survival increases dramatically.
Scott Charles and Dr. Tim Bryan came to St. Mark’s church along with a crew of trauma and emergency medicine nurses from Temple University Hospital to teach close to 40 Frankford residents how to handle those situations.
The training last two hours with emphasis first on safety. In first aid the goal is to stop the bleeding and make sure the victim can breathe until somebody else comes on the scene more qualified to take over. Its a bit like knowing CPR, you never know if or when you will need it. All attending thought the experience was well worth the time.
There is also training available for Narcan, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of an opioid emergency such as an overdose or a possible opioid overdose with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond.
Future training sessions will be announced as they are scheduled. For more information about Fighting Chance, call 215-707-8398 or email scott.charles@tuhs.temple.edu.
