Belegarth

Tails if it is ok, would like to add something to that list...

Salt Water or salt tablets, or salted soda crackers

For the people who get heat exhaustion or are getting close to it, salt is a must

In reference to people that are drunk, I think simple observational assessment can come into play there.

The belt flags indicate that you are certified, nothing else. They don't negate common sense.

Antoinette wrote:Tails if it is ok, would like to add something to that list...

Salt Water or salt tablets, or salted soda crackers

For the people who get heat exhaustion or are getting close to it, salt is a must

That's what gatoraid is for, isnt it?

MorganDrakeheart wrote:In reference to people that are drunk, I think simple observational assessment can come into play there.

The belt flags indicate that you are certified, nothing else. They don't negate common sense.

Displaying certification means that people will recognize you as a source of aid. If you are impaired, you are not in proper condition to provide proper care to anyone beyond yourself. If you're planning on drinking, first thing you should do is take off the flag.

Thanks for the reply Tails. Yeah, my kit is over complicated. I'll make up one as you have suggested and have it on me when I'm not fighting. All in in all, it should be pretty cheap to keep and maintain. Personal kits are probably just the best way to go.

Oh, have we decided on a symbol? I know the charter that we proposed to WC had two options for symbols (I thought I read that anyway). I'll probably make a satchel or something to make carrying easy and period, and I would like to have something to mark it with.

Thurat wrote:Oh, have we decided on a symbol?.

Nothing Crazy, A Red cross in a white circle.

Caleidah wrote:Displaying certification means that people will recognize you as a source of aid. If you are impaired, you are not in proper condition to provide proper care to anyone beyond yourself. If you're planning on drinking, first thing you should do is take off the flag.

QFT

Antoinette wrote:Salt Water or salt tablets, or salted soda crackers

Pretty sure that was an urban myth.

Fair enough, but first thing you should do when asking for someone else to assist you in an emergency is make sure they're capable of doing so. If I'm performing CPR on a person, I want as many capable hands with me to help rotate in and out, so no one gets too tired.

If I see someone is too drunk to do that, but they have an appropriate belt flag, I'm not going to stop to tell them off for not taking their belt flag off. I'm gonna tell them to go **** sober up, and find the * AED (probably useing those exact words).

MorganDrakeheart wrote:If I see someone is too drunk to do that, but they have an appropriate belt flag, I'm not going to stop to tell them off for not taking their belt flag off. I'm gonna tell them to go **** sober up, and find the * AED (probably useing those exact words).

I'm gonna quote one of those drunk driving PSAs

It's easy to tell if someones had way too many drinks, but it's hard to tell if someone's had one too many.

Besides, if someone is drunk or in shock, they are not going to be able to tell who is good to go or not. I don't want to use belt flags because I don't want any grey area. Either you are 100% in or you are 100% out. Some medics are not going to want to stay in all event, and that's fine, but I want no confusion at all.

Morgan, for reference, I was more or less quoting what I've been learning in my EMT classes thus far. Two drinks within an eight hour period before your shift is enough to be considered "impaired" for the purposes of EMS.

These are really simple arm bands that I made up in a few minutes. White cross on the band (had the red paint, but no white cloth!) and some cheap Velcro. They can be removed in seconds, and put on relatively simply. What'cha think, Tails?

Antoinette wrote:Tails if it is ok, would like to add something to that list...

Salt Water or salt tablets, or salted soda crackers

For the people who get heat exhaustion or are getting close to it, salt is a must

Except giving too much salt makes a person thirsty, possibly causing them to drink too much water and suffer hyponatremia. I suffered it in boot camp years ago when i was salting my water every so often to prevent heat exhaustion and the full body cramps were ridiculously painful.

Be careful with this idea.

Red cross on white is traditional, but I'm not gonna be a color nazi, as long as taking it off is as easy as "pull" that's fine.

Also about drinking, I know there are people who can handle their alcohol quite well. While at the events though a medic should have none the night that they are working. You wouldn't do it at work, don't do it at our events. If you wanna drink, have one medic sober the one night and switch the next night.

If it helps for OctoberFest, I will be there and I do not drink at all so I will always be sober if someone needs something.

As was covered on the Gen-hams board (which was more asked in reference to the whole AHA commercials than anything else, but TC had a really good thingy to say about the doctors so, good on you for that).

If we're treating the flags/bands/whatever as an "On Duty" sign, then we treat is as just that.

I guess we'll cross the bridge of "can you help me pump this guys chest" issue when we get to it, if it (heaven forbid) ever comes up.

MorganDrakeheart wrote:As was covered on the Gen-hams board (which was more asked in reference to the whole AHA commercials than anything else, but TC had a really good thingy to say about the doctors so, good on you for that).

What?

MorganDrakeheart wrote:If we're treating the flags/bands/whatever as an "On Duty" sign, then we treat is as just that.

Yup.

MorganDrakeheart wrote:I guess we'll cross the bridge of "can you help me pump this guys chest" issue when we get to it, if it (heaven forbid) ever comes up.

What?

hmm. what happened to the discussions when we tried doing this, that the couple from Canada had issues with this guild formation?

meh; either way put me down as a level 1 medic. I also do blood draws as a CLS/MT!

Appreciated, but I think one of our mottos is gonna be "Medic guild: Trying to keep all your blood inside you."

I haven't been on in a while, but I like where things are / was going.

Freki wrote:I haven't been on in a while, but I like where things are / was going.

ARE

Hey Tails, I'm relatively new to the sport (only a little over a year of fighting), but I have been first aid/CPR/AED certified for the past four years. If there's anything that I can do to start helping out, I'd be more than willing!

I'd be a little wary of showing that I am a medic because of the legal ramifications. As a medic, if you are taking care of someone, you are becoming liable for them. If they decide to sue you for malpractice, without insurance, you are screwed. For this reason alone we have no OFFICIAL medics at Chaos wars. People who are trained will respond to the medic call, but it is up to them to take responsibility for the injury.

I'll just state again that, before doing anything beyond absolute critical care (life saving intervention) you should look into the Good Samaritan laws for the area. They always cover trained professionals while working, but being certain about how it applies to same trained people while not under the express coverage of another system is the thing to know.

Every state has their own version of the G.S.L. That's all we'd be, I'm not pushing for the guild to be the OFFICIAL medics of each event. I want it aimed more toward a social club that helps out at events.

Has there been any more thoughts/progress on this?

Tails was heading this, but I think real life got busy and things kind of simmered down. No real headway was made, I don't think, but I'm still interested in being a part of this.

Trying to get things moving again. Check out the Belegarth Medic Guild page on Facebook.

Aw...It didn't work - just sent me to FB. EDIT - It is a closed group.

Opened it up, try now

Here's the open group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1456864841195365/



Here's my personal take (disclaimer...I haven't read anything before 'page4' in a while, so sorry if any of this is duplicated)
I have been medic-ing at events for over 10 years.
I 'medic' at Belegarth, SCA, and Dagorhir events
I have been head medic for events

What I have found over the years is...
1) Keep it simple.
If the head medic wants to have ALS (Advanced Life Saving) equipment on hand...great! But only people with the correct training should use the equipment (J-collars, AED...ect) Otherwise all FA/CPR cert'd medics should have access to the basics: gloves, gauze, water (preferably sterile for rinsing wounds) bandaids, ACE wrap or koban/vet-wrap, ice packs.
Carrying things like glucose or salt tabs gets into realms of treatment most people don't have experience with, and quite frankly if it comes to needing those a trip to the hosp is probably the best step.
Even giving out things like aspirin/Tylenol/ibuprofen could go against the GSL of what ever state you're in.

2) You don't have x-ray vision
You can compress, ice, elevate all you want..but is that sprain a sprain? or is it a fracture? I once 'walked' for 2 weeks on a fractured ankle post Ragnarok (more to my own stubborn stupidity than any failing on a medic's part...I find we make some of the worst patients lol )
I try to always preface any examination on an injured area with "I'm not a Dr, and I don't have x-ray vision..."

3) You can't fix stupid
I've had more than one person come up to me and say "It hurts when I do..." ok...well lets look at it and for now perhaps you shouldn't do that. Only to see them doing that exact thing the next day. (walking on a turned ankle, fighting with a sore shoulder/wrist/knee...)
All we can do is treat/give our opinion and suggest a course of action. People will do what they want in the end. Some realms/events put greater value on a medic's opinion to pull an injured fighter than others.


I have been to events where the 'medic' team was directions to the nearest hospital(s) for liability reasons. I have also been to events with EMS on site 24-7 (also for insurance/liability reasons).

Just know that formally organizing and receiving funds from event coordinators for supplies could mean that the organization of Belegarth or the actual event could be forced to carry insurance to cover 'acting medics'
There is so much grey area here.

I do think that any persons willing to provide assistance to others at events should get together at least once at each even to familiarize them selves with each other. If the event is having an official medic team then all certs should be current, if not current then by all means lend a hand, but let someone with a cert do the hands on stuff

ok...that is all...hope to see you out at an event some time