Posted: 6/22/2009 9:16:22 AM EDT
|
An ND occured at approx 4pm during a Combative Pistols Skills 1&2 course Saturday 6-20. We were almost done for the day and shooting one of the final drills. The ND occured during an adminstrative function- a student reholstering their pistol. As far as we can determine a piece of the cover garment or a finger in the trigger was the cause. I was clipped in my lower right leg by fragments of the round with three entry points and one exit.
Some points I would like to make for any and all concerned with this incident: -I am doing fine and nobody else was injured -A safety brief was handed out to everyone, it was covered during and after the lecture -A MedEvac plan was outlined at the beginning of the course (as it is for every live fire and combatives course) -Until approx 1pm we had (3) RSO's present and (2) after 1pm for the remainder of the day -The class up until that point was conducted in a safe manner and nobody alerted me to any safety infractions witnessed -When the incident occurred the MedEvac plan was followed exactly with my RSO responding immediately in a clear and concise manner -The class was concluded (since it was me and teaching would have been problematic!  )
-The range was made safe immediately, gear was stored and the range was cleaned up -Club officials who needed to be informed were contacted immediately -Everyone interacted with EMS and Police admirably, providing witness accounts and statements -Everyone also wrote out statements for MDTS Training Injury Records and Witness Statement Reports -Several students were very helpful to me and aided in packing my gear up, asking if I needed anything and driving me to the hospital to get checked out. I drove myself home that evening. In summary a potentially bad situation was dealt with in an efficient and professional manner. There was no attempt to cover up the incident or make lite of what happened. While unfortunate, these types of incidents do happen and I think what is important is for all of us to learn from it and continue our study/practice of shooting, training, hunting or competing the wiser for it. If we do not learn from these incidents then we are remiss. A core MDTS training principle is "Never miss a training opportunity". As unfortunate as it is, this incident is an opportunity to learn something and realize that there is no margin for complacency. Thanks for your concern and understanding, Chris |
|
Safety is first and foremost always stressed in an MDTS class, including a plan of medical action should an accident happen. It goes to show that Mr. Murphy can raise his ugly head at any time, even for the prepared.
It's how you handle a crisis that shows what you are made of. |
| Everything was handled smoothly. I thought it was funny how the EMTs reacted. They were astonished that Chris was coherent and talking. They said they were used to the grab and go shootings in the city where the people are bitching about the pain and refusing to go to get treatment. Glad to hear you are OK Chris. I know one thing, A G19 is in my future. That hi power isnt going to cut it. |
|
Chris I am glad you are ok. I remember my first firearm class with you, I was impressed with how you had everything set up, vehicle ready, first aid kits handy, and knew where the hospital was if needed. Is there anything that you wold have done differently? Anything that could be improved? A while back I was thinking about adding some of the Israeli bandages to my shooting bag and cars. Your post is going to finally make me do that. Here is the Israeli bandage. Cav Arms sells them.  |
|
Quoted:
Any thoughts on preventing a similar incident in the future? Yes, I am changing SOP's for classes conducted on hard surfaces like concrete etc based upon angles of ricochet. So as to eliminate or reduce the chances of this kind of incident happening in the future- hopefully. Researching that now. I will post any findings etc. Other than that just re-iterating the issue of how one of the most dangerous times for anyone is coming out of and going back into the holster. |
|
Quoted:
Is there anything that you wold have done differently? Anything that could be improved? Yes, I should have TQ'd my leg immediately but did not thinking it was not severe enough and that pressure would stop bleeding. After speaking with some others guys I now know that hemorrhage is not always external and I could have had internal bleed. Luckily that was not the case. I immediately THOUGHT of using the SWAT-T I had in my cargo pocket but ruled it out. Next time I will follow my instincts no matter how minor something appears. As far as improvement I believe having detailed directions to the nearest hospital would have been a good idea (one of the students pointed this out to me in a class AAR). Luckily SP10 knew the area very well and drove me to hospital but this could have happened with a class full of out of town people and nobody would have known unless GPS was available. Most of my Incident Action Planning has been based upon a student being injured not myself or one of the RSO's. This will be revised. |
|
Quoted:
Everything was handled smoothly. I thought it was funny how the EMTs reacted. They were astonished that Chris was coherent and talking. They said they were used to the grab and go shootings in the city where the people are bitching about the pain and refusing to go to get treatment. Glad to hear you are OK Chris. I know one thing, A G19 is in my future. That hi power isnt going to cut it. Thanks bud and thanks for your help with the situation. I think your HP is a sweet piece but for personal defense purposes I would do a lot more training/shooting with it and/or test a shit load of different ammo in order to iron out the problems you were having. Or, pick up a glock. They are not pretty but they get the job done. |
|
Glad to hear you're OK Bud!
I know everytime I go to a class from now on people won't balk when I have my medics bag at ready. It goes wayyyy beyond the blowout kits we normally have, however this incident proves that your MedEvac Plan is a prudent precaution. Background: I have attended many of Chris Fry’s courses, both as a student ,and on occasion acting as a RO (along with SP10) and I will vouch for MDTS’s policies and practices when it comes to safety. I did not attend the class in question, however I have to say that safety is stressed throughout each class, and every student is supposed to act and speak out if they see anything that could be an unsafe act. BEFORE the start of any class, the instructors go over all safety rules, range rules, and emergency procedures (MedEvac Plan) if anything where to happen. I say with confidence as a NY State Certified Safety Instructor of 15 years myself, that I would not hesitate in any way to attend any of MDTS offerings in the future. WRDH |
|
Quoted:
I think this will result in me getting some first aid training. It goes to show you how easy something can go wrong and turn into an emergency. You got it Rich and that is a good plan. I am working now with Ed from Pathfinder and hope to have a one day - "Ventilated Operators Course" ready to roll out sometime this fall where MDTS will host Pathfinder to provide the course. The course will have a heavy medical emphasis but there will be live fire drills involved. Stay tuned. Chris Thanks Joe!
|
|
Quoted:
I am working now with Ed from Pathfinder and hope to have a one day - "Ventilated Operators Course" ready to roll out sometime this fall where MDTS will host Pathfinder to provide the course. The course will have a heavy medical emphasis but there will be live fire drills involved. Stay tuned. Sigh me up. Must have training for anybody frequenting the range. As stated "shit stuff can and does happen." A pile of Izzy bandages without the training / knowledge to back it up is useless. To touch on AD1's comments, Chris runs extremely safe classes, the MedEvac plan is well thought out and ingrained in the course structure. I have also attended courses by others where there was no evac/injury plan of action at all until I brought it up. No one should have any hesitation or question about the safety of Chris's courses. There is a safety net in place AND he's been kind enough to test it for us. |
|
COOL!!!
Now you have something to go along with your knife wound!!! Stabbed, Shot, whats next!!! Just kidding. Glad to see that you are OK (...and that it did not happen at Buckeye!) Chris covers all the bases when it comes to safety. We always have an evac plan when training in NJ. SAFETY FIRST and having the knowledge to act when Mr. Murphy comes out to play are vital in ANY training or shooting situation. Its like insurance. You may not use it but it sure is nice to have when needed. Everyone should see if their local EMS Squad is looking for volunteers. Training is usually free and even if you let any certifications earned run out they can not take back the knowledge you have in your head. You might even get to try out all of those new skills learned on your fellow neighbors in their time of need. Practice makes perfect... Stay safe everyone, RW3 
|
Thank god you didn't get popped higher up |
Chris,
I hope there is no permanent damage, and you seem pretty upbeat about the whole thing. One thing none of us have touched on yet - Being prepared also goes a long way towards MINDSET. The average wuss without ANY PLAN might have gone into complete shock and made matters worse for himself. The more scenarios one plans for, the more likely one is able to survive, and even win the encounter. I too, can testify that for classes I've taken with Chris Fry, that every attention is paid to safety, and that everyone is in the loop on what to do if shit happens. You have my best wishes. /ml2150. |
