Professional Bodyguards Must Not Ignore First Aid

!±8± Professional Bodyguards Must Not Ignore First Aid

First Aid skills are important in any walk of life, but being skilled in First Aid is absolutely fundamental to being a Close protection professional. Some schoolchildren are now taught very basic First Aid. This is a good thing. First Aid should be on everybody's curriculum. Over the years, I have seen and been amazed at the number of bodyguards' CV/resumes that make no mention of First Aid. When questioned in interview, these candidates mention that yes, they have done First Aid in the Army: 'about ten years ago' or 'I did a lifesaving course, "a while ago"'.

This is simply not good enough. I can guarantee with some certainty that First Aid skills will be needed in a career of close protection. You may never need that bootleg turn that you practise over and over in the car or the quick draw and chair roll that you have perfected for hotel corridors; but you will need your knowledge of First Aid.

First Aid is a skill like any other; it needs constant practice to remain effective. Techniques and ideas change so it is imperative that you carry out continual training and remain up to date. Most books on 'close protection' include a chapter on First Aid but this is a token gesture and often used only to pad out the book. Authors tend to stick to sexy First Aid like suckling chest wounds, tracheotomies and gunshot wounds. They ignore the simple facts, such as your principal is hundreds of times more likely to die choking on a pretzel than be shot in the chest. First Aid needs its own book, and cannot be covered in a single chapter. You will need to undertake a course in First Aid.

In the UK when the Security Industry Authority (SIA) commissioned the key skills or core competencies, the draft documents included just sexy First Aid. Some sensible folk lobbied to get this taken out and be replaced by a formal qualification in First Aid. Eventually, the SIA chose the Health and Safety Executive's 'First Aid at Work' course, which is run over four days and which is accompanied by written and practical exams. In the UK, therefore, you will need this First Aid qualification to get a licence to operate as a Close Protection Officer. The course covers much more than tracheotomies and for those that really want to know, yes, they do teach you about suckling chest wounds.

The course will cover the following:

Introduction to first aid Personal hygiene Circulation Resuscitation Dressings and bandages Wounds and bleeding Circulatory disorders Duties of a First Aider The skeleton Fractures Unconsciousness Burns and scalding Handling and transport This course certificate is valid for three years; thereafter, before your certificate runs out, you must undertake a two day refresher course. Go over three years and you will have to do the whole course again to get re-certificated.

Other Essential First Aid Courses

While the basic First Aid course above is enough to get you a licence to operate in the UK you should consider at least two other First Aid qualifications, which are essential if you are to become a protection professional.

Automated External Defibrillator Course

This short course teaches you how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This device can be used to administer measured electric shocks to people in the throes of cardiac arrest and is the best way of increasing their chance of survival. Many close protection teams routinely carry AEDs and you must be trained in their use. Most 'de-fib' courses last around one day and the course certificate must be renewed every six months.

First Aid for children

Very often the addition of a first aid certificate applicable to children will make a close protection officer more employable in a family environment. Most courses available are aimed at giving first aid to adults so you will have to look hard to find one especially for children. First aid techniques for children differ in some crucial areas. Participants learn about techniques for resuscitating children and infants, conducting risk assessments and how to deal with choking, burns, scalds and seizures. In a career in close protection, you will find that you work for principals that have families that include young children. You will often be charged with their care. You need to know what to do in the event of an accident or illness. If you are working in an environment that includes children, you cannot be a bodyguard without these skills.

Professional Bodyguards Must Not Ignore First Aid

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Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Kits

!±8± Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Kits

There are so many different options in first aid sets - small first aid kits, large first aid kits, various professional trauma bags, even military trauma bags. The inventory of materials and supplies in these setups varies widely and the number of different class specifications makes comparing and contrasting the various trauma bag contents difficult at best. Products on the market can range from a basic medical "survival bag" up to and including a very comprehensive first responder trauma bag.

There are industry descriptions that range from the size of the group that the kit is intended to service (you may hear such terms as "5 man kit", "15 man kit", etc) to very specific applications such as EMT trauma bags or even Combat Trauma Bags for Armed Forces medics. How does one choose the best option for a specific application out of a host of first responder packs and stocked trauma bags?

A large consideration should be made on three main points: the number of people present, the amount of time required for first responders (EMT or Fire Department) to respond, and the level of first aid training present in the group.

The number of people referenced by a kit can be somewhat misleading - it may lend some insight into the number of band-aids and gauze pads in a specific kit, but it tells us very little about the depth of care that the kit is able to provide. Obviously some knowledge about the number of people being serviced by a kit and the duration that the group might have to withstand before restocking occurs is very important. Generally it is more appropriate to break down the proper level of response by issuing the best responder kit per square footage in the facility or by a specific number of employees which will be assigned to the kit. For instance, it may make more sense to purchase four comprehensive kits for 25 people per kit rather than try and cover everyone with one "100 Man" kit which may only provide the bare basics in care.

The delay in EMT response is another large consideration - basic patient stabilization and care may be the only thing required in densely populated areas where emergency response is under 5 minutes. Naturally you may want to prepare for more than the best-case scenario, since emergency care can be severely delayed or even non-existent in a catastrophe or large-scale emergency. Care in rural or remote areas can obviously assume a protracted response, sometimes in excess of 20 minutes - longer for difficult to find construction projects or poorly marked county roads. Situations like these require much more comprehensive kits, generally including an AED (Automated Electronic Defibrillator) to assist in resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

Training is the third major consideration - all the tools and equipment in the world are useless without a fundamental knowledge o f medical response and the proper first aid applications. Even in situations where response is under 6 or 7 minutes, an untrained responder can do more damage than good if the victim is handled improperly. Basic prudence would suggest that everyone should have basic first aid and CPR training, but if the skills are not regularly honed and practiced then panic can set in during an emergency. One solution to aid training is to provide an EID (Emergency Instruction Device) in your stocked trauma bags - more information on the EID can be found through Critical Response First Aid. Designed to be a visual and auditory aid in a crisis and to prevent panicked responders from doing more harm than good, the EID can prove to be a vital part of your first response program.

All the variables can make a decision on first aid and response kits very difficult; if you need more information or have questions, a wealth of knowledge and support exists from a company's safety group to the resources available from a distributor, such as Critical Response.

Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Kits

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