This week I posted the first video in my Stop and Think series.  The discussion prompted a video on suggested best practices for making a 911 call in the event of a range injury or accident.

Stop and Think #1:



Here is the suggested best practices video Chris Cypert of Citizens Defense Research and I teamed up to make:

Our range has emergency call buttons all over the place. You don't need speak with anyone.

I took a ricochet from douchebag shooting a steel plate with an AK pistol. Went through my blue jeans, caused bleeding and a really hard hematoma. Thought I might actually have the bullet under the skin so I went to the ER.

It was a lot of drama that I "had been shot" even tho I calmly explained 4 or 5 times that I was at the range. I can only imagine calling 911.

I don't feel it hurts to reiterate to 911 dispatch that its a training accident and not an active shooter situation. I work in the field as a medic and feel comfortable commenting on this. When a GSW kicks off on the CAD, PD will respond first before any medical help arrives to ensure scene safety. In my area even an obvious GSW to the head that self inflicted we dont get cleared to the scene until PD or SO is there and lays eyes on scene to clear fire and or EMS. Lots of gun ranges here, lots of unofficial gun ranges in the deserts outside the cities, and then just plain shooting out in the sticks.

My advice is to lay out a clear picture in what happen in the fewst words as possible. If your call is gun shot wound and then the rest is spun up gobballty gook then the message to responding units is a bunch of gook and a gun shot wound. Responders may show up more on edge than normal. Then the patients sex/age/wound and current condition. last set of vitals, pulse, resp. rate, BP if you can, skin pallor. Location. Best routes of access to where your shooting, and send "flag people to guide responders to the patient.

"This is Joe Blow, I need a medical response for a friend. We were shooting in the desert and he had an accidental discharge wounding his leg."

Hes a 35 y/o male, hes awake and alert, talking to us right now. Bleeding is controlled with a dressing and a tournique. Best access to reach us is here and here. I'll send a couple of guys to flag you down from the main road and guide you to our spot where hes located.

Obviously put your guns away so as you dont make PD nerv'ie.

Great advice. Screen name does not check out. How the gun shot wound occurred is the first thing to tell them. Accidental gun shot wound to which portion of the body, what medical treatment if any has been administered, have you tested positive for COVID or had any symptoms, have you secured the weapon, etc. Be willing to stay on the phone with them even if this means putting it on speaker and laying it down. Don't get mad at being asked so many questions. Your ability to answer the questions will get you trained medical attention sooner. This is because, as the quoted poster pointed out, you will see the police before you see a paramedic.