Emergency First Aid Help for Victims of Mass Shootings

This past shooting on Danforth Avenue in Greektown, Toronto has us concerned and worried for the safety and protection of our city.

We mourn for the families and loved ones for those who lost someone and hope and pray for a speedy and healthy recovery from those who have been injured in the shooting. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has had over 200 shootings in 2018, with 26 fatalities as a result. It is unfortunate that we now have to become aware of our surroundings at all times, but we must be prepared for future shootings and massacres to happen again.

Coast2Coast provides the community of GTA with Emergency and Standard First Aid courses to equip and strengthen our communities with First-Aid trained members. Through various news outlets, we find that many first aid trained people have helped out several victims and have saved many lives because of their proficiency and courage. However, there are still far too many people who succumb to death or face life-altering injuries that could have been prevented or helped with first aid assistance.

Many bystanders who are in the area of a mass shooting often flee the scene for their own safety before assessing the area to see if they could provide first aid to any victims. In these horrific situations, emergency medical responders are often delayed, depending on how large the area affected is, and how many people are needed to be treated. The most important thing in preserving one’s life during a mass shooting is to stop the bleeding.

To begin to help, always call 911 when you see someone bleeding from a shooting. Then assess the area to make sure the shooter(s) have left the area, and that there are no hazards or objects around you that can injure you and the person in need.

Find out if the victim is responsive, and explain your steps of aid to you and other bystanders loudly and clearly. If they are responsive, ask consent to remove or cut away the clothing to calculate where the wound is, and where to put the dressing and/or tourniquet. If the victim is unresponsive, let the bystanders know what you are doing and explain why you are removing the clothing for assessment and first aid.

For those who lose blood at a very fast rate often experience shock, where the body shuts off all functions, which concludes with the brain turning off and resulting in death. This is why it is imperative to stop the bleeding FAST. If the weather is cold or freezing, try to keep the person in need with warm garments and/or blankets where there is no injury or wound. As bullets can infiltrate bones and muscles, keep their movements to a minimum, as the location of the bullet often go unseen unless assessed by an emergency medical responder or a medical professional.

With your emergency first aid training, begin the dressings with an available first aid kit, or available garments that can be wrapped around the wound. If extreme bleeding continues to be an issue, apply a tourniquet (if no first aid kit is available, use a shoelace, belt, scarves, etc.) that is two to three inches above the wound. If bleeding goes through the bandages, DO NOT take them off. Just continue to put dressings over the old ones and make sure the tourniquet is tight and secure.

Once the patient has been dressed with bandages, keep them calm until emergency medical responders relieve you of your duty. Make sure they are as comfortable as possible, as they might still be going through shock and trauma of the shooting. Most importantly, make sure the location is safe for you to be in, and stop any aiding if the bearings become unsafe for you and other bystanders.

Stay with them until emergency medical responders (EMR) take over, as they may have questions they want to ask you about the shooting, the victim, how long you have been there, etc. Along with the EMR staff, report the incident to the police on the scene, and describe the wound, and if you have any knowledge of who the shooter was or what they looked like, wore, spoke, etc.

Helping a victim itself is a traumatic event in itself; one can feel anxiety, spirts of depression, and confusion. It is important during this time to surround yourself with positive and loving people, such as family members, romantic partners, and friends, who are here for you and can talk to you about what happened. If signs of anxiety, depression, and panic continue and/or worsen, it is important to seek external help. Asking for help is a big sign of strength, and can help you overcome the trauma you have went through for your courageous gesture.

At Coast2Coast, we pride ourselves in training the GTA with credible Canadian Red Cross classes for unfortunate situations such as The Danforth shooting. We cannot prevent massacres and immoral incidents from happening in our community; instead, we can be equipped and educated for these events to continue to help save lives when these tragedies occur. Call or register online to sign up for one of our First Aid & CPR/AED classes today and be the lifesaver your community needs today!