Chasers driving past injured residents at Wayne tornado

[Rob H]

Update: The individual that prompted this thread has contacted some of us that were involved. Please see my post on page 3.

This shouldn't turn into a witch hunt. I don't want this to turn into drama or telling other people how to chase. I'm posting this because everyone should know about this, and it's not about chasing - it's about being a responsible member of society.

http://www.omaha.com/article/201310...boom-before-friend-was-injured-during-tornado

From the article:

"Anderson feared that Dunning would bleed to death. He reached for the iPhone in his shirt pocket to call 911. It was gone. He climbed out of the ditch to stop traffic and send someone to the Wayne fire station for help.

He said a few vehicles driven by storm chasers with laptop computers and tripod-mounted cameras raced by without stopping.

“I don’t know what I looked like, I was probably covered with mud and blood, but that made me angry,’’ Anderson said."​

Now, we don't know the real situation. Maybe people drove by and didn't see him. I really want to believe that's the case. I'm not trying to say chasers should chase damage and stick their noses into every disaster location, because that causes problems too. I was at Wayne, so I can definitively say the man who is now in a medically induced coma was laying in a ditch for at least 10 minutes before paramedics showed up. That's 10 minutes that chasers could have, and did, help him. I don't know who else pulled off there to help, but there were some chasers that did the right thing. Thank you whoever you were.

If you're not prepared for a disaster, get prepared. Have a first aid kit in your car. Have a blanket. You'll probably use both of these anyways at some point. Get CPR and first aid training. Know the basics, like not to move people, and how to assess injuries. That's all I'm asking.

If you're going to chase large tornadoes up close, a little bit of extra work will make you feel more comfortable when the does hit the fan, and it might make the difference in saving a life.

 

[Matt Ashworth]

I would wholeheartedly agree that chasers, almost as a rule, should be prepared to help out in a disaster area if they are the first on the scene in some way. Let the emergency response crews take over when they arrive, but until then help locate people and, if possible, treat whatever injuries they may have because it may be someone's life you just saved. Just don't do any harm yourself and don't put yourself into harms way.

 

[rdale]

Per a FB discussion, chasers stopped immediately to offer help and call 911. I suppose afterwards others drove by, but once someone has called 911 and allowed the use of their car for temporary shelter, I'd rather see other cars driving by. If 20 chasers stopped to help, that would not be a good thing.

 

[Dave C]

I think having multiple chasers clog the road to help would be bad, but I imagine we would self regulate so I'm not sure I see that becoming a problem. I haven't been chasing as long as some of you and have yet to see a truly damaging tornado up close. I have deliberately not chased certain storms like El Reno, and headed away from them for multiple reasons.

However, I fully agree that if you get into chasing it is your DUTY as a human being to be prepared to render assistance. You are putting yourself at the front line of a potential disaster and you WILL be the first one on the scene. Like most of you, I took the time to construct a thorough first aid / basic trauma kit including emergency blankets, food, water, you name it as I first started serious chasing. I really object to any chaser that does not include the reality of tornado damage to life and property in their chase mentality. Others have said they don't want to tell others how to chase - in this case I think its appropriate. Its just wrong to keep chasing if you can be of assistance to someone who is likely hurt, disoriented, etc. after a tornado hits. If you are there after a tornado hits and there are people who need help who don't have any yet = chase over.

 

[Rob H]

Per a FB discussion, chasers stopped immediately to offer help and call 911. I suppose afterwards others drove by, but once someone has called 911 and allowed the use of their car for temporary shelter, I'd rather see other cars driving by. If 20 chasers stopped to help, that would not be a good thing.

Let's take care of this right off the bat: I was there, but I'm not throwing anyone under the wheels. I saw some things that might lend weight to the concern mentioned in the article. Please don't turn this into a "defend the honor of chasing community" type thread, because no one's attacking chasing. Thanks.

The point I'm trying to make is that sometimes you're in a position where you can help, even if it's as simple as calling 911. Every chaser should be prepared to at least stop and see if help is needed. That's all I'm asking - awareness of the lack of preparedness that you may or may not have as a chaser. I'm going to work with some others to come up with some material that can help chasers that aren't sure where to start, because I like to think I've got a good head on my shoulders, but I still could have been more helpful at Wayne. I can only imagine that some chasers have absolutely no experience or knowledge on what to do at damage scenes, and it's unfortunate, as so many of us are getting closer now.

 

[Dan Robinson]

The story says that there were chasers that did stop as well as those who didn't stop. While those who didn't stop are deserving of the criticism, I don't think this story indicates anything bad about chasers. If anything, it should be a positive chaser story showing that many *were* there to help that might not have been otherwise. I hope that the media, the public and the chase community doesn't seize too much on the ones who didn't stop. It sounds like there were more that *did* stop to help.

 

[Warren Faidley]

We would only be speculating as to why others did not stop. Maybe they did not see the man or maybe there was another threat or emergency to deal with. As an EMT and chaser I don't stop at every accident to assist if help is already there or if the event seems non life threatening.

Warren

 

[Jacob Ferden]

If some helped, and some drove by, I don't know that that is any different than the responses you'd get from non-chasers in a non-tornadic life-threatening situation. People drive around car accidents on the interstates. Different people have different priorities, however displaced they might be.

 

[Jason Russell]

I tend to say that "first responder" is a misapplied term. EMT's and firemen are usually second responders, someone else has gotten there first and it's usually the person calling for help.

My priority, when chasing, has always been and always will be a first response aspect. Stop, assist, move on. It would be great if everyone was capable of a first response role, however I can understand the sentiment that "I'm not trained for that." Some people just aren't cut out for a first response role, all excuses aside.

 

[Michael.Brewer]

I'm going to work with some others to come up with some material that can help chasers that aren't sure where to start, because I like to think I've got a good head on my shoulders, but I still could have been more helpful at Wayne. I can only imagine that some chasers have absolutely no experience or knowledge on what to do at damage scenes, and it's unfortunate, as so many of us are getting closer now.

Rob, I really like the idea of having some type of guide or list of suggestions on what is needed in these situations, whether it be equipment or training. Definitely start out with the very basics, and then expand off of that for those that are able and willing to do more. Personally, I feel like I need to be better prepared for these situations, and some proper guidance would be a big help.

 

[david diehl]

Rob, I really like the idea of having some type of guide or list of suggestions on what is needed in these situations, whether it be equipment or training. Definitely start out with the very basics, and then expand off of that for those that are able and willing to do more. Personally, I feel like I need to be better prepared for these situations, and some proper guidance would be a big help.

Michael,

There is a whole lot of training you can do, have you ever heard of the CERT program, look it up, Training ordinary people to preform basic search and rescue, and triage.
that would be a start, and you can do the courses online.

On the note of driving by, I was not there so I will not speculate, however as a FIRST RESPONDER I know there is about 200 things going on at one time, can make the inexperienced miss things that you will kick yourself in the butt in hindsight, heck I still make errors after 10 plus years

 

[S Kalka]

Although it doesn't apply to the incident in question, I have always been concerned about the safety and legality of entering private property to check for victims. With todays 'shoot first ask questions later' mentality and some LEOs animosity toward chasers, good intentions may not be enough to keep you out of trouble.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I tend to say that "first responder" is a misapplied term. EMT's and firemen are usually second responders, someone else has gotten there first and it's usually the person calling for help.

My priority, when chasing, has always been and always will be a first response aspect. Stop, assist, move on. It would be great if everyone was capable of a first response role, however I can understand the sentiment that "I'm not trained for that." Some people just aren't cut out for a first response role, all excuses aside.

Jason, thanks for saying that, because as I read the other posts I realized a "first response role" is quite intimidating to me for whatever reason; if I was comfortable with administering first aid, I would be a doctor, EMT, Red Cross volunteer, etc.

Having said that, sometimes we are called to be brave and do the right thing, even if it exceeds our comfort zones. I would like to think I would rise to the occasion if I had to, but none of us really knows how we would truly react in a stressful and chaotic situation.

Regardless, the question becomes, how much of an obligation do we really have to *prepare* ourselves? How much work should we do to train and prepare, especially when we have absolutely no prior, related experience and no particular inclination toward an interest in first aid that, for example, those who become EMTs seem to innately have? How likely is it, really, that we will ever need these skills? I have been chasing for 17 years and never once was anywhere near any damage paths with human casualties - whether due to staying further out, or tornados I was on not hitting towns (not to mention just screwing up and missing tornados that did...) I imagine most of you can say the same. Sure, it could happen, but how many of us spend time preparing for every low-probability event that could happen in our lives?

Please do not think I am arguing against trying to help or being prepared to help. I am just thinking out loud, because this thread has inspired me to think about it for the first time. Quite frankly I never really gave much thought to it before, other than some vague notion that "of course I would help" if I was in that situation. Like I said, the need just hasn't arisen for me. Doing what you can is not in question; the interesting thing to contemplate is what level of advance preparation is appropriate for what, in my opinion, is a relatively low probability situation even for a chaser. Or is it irresponsible to not prepare?






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[Warren Faidley]

A few quick notes on being a "first responder."

If you can help, you should. But you are under no obligation and I fully support a person's choice either way. But just remember if it were you or a family member would you hope someone stops and helps?

The first thing you learn as an EMT or Fire Fighter is to protect yourself and your crew.

Assisting at disaster or accident scene is a lot more complex and hazardous than you think. When I received my training, we watched a lot of videos where a seemingly safe scene was a potentially life threatening trap. For example, an un-deployed air bag in a wrecked vehicle can suddenly go off with explosive force if not deactivated. EMS personnel have been killed after speeding vehicles crashed into an existing accident. I was assisting at a rollover accident in Kansas a few years ago when a carload of chasers (likely locals) sideswiped a volunteer's truck... and they just kept going.

Once you know how to stay safe, the medical stuff is straightforward. Being able to stop bleeding, C-spine safety, controlling shock and providing accurate triage information to dispatchers is at the top of the list. It's going to be a very rare situation in which you have to physically remove someone from a wreck or debris. Unless there is an immediate danger, e.g., the victim(s) need life saving first aid or there is a fire, you are better off letting firefighters remove trapped people. You may also cause further injury when moving someone without the proper training and equipment.

I would like to see first aid classes spend a little more time covering scene and personal safety.

Warren

EMT-T
(TCCC) Tactical Combat
Casualty Care Certification

 

[Rob H]

I would like to see first aid classes spend a little more time covering scene and personal safety.

That would be fantastic.

I was a little amped up when I wrote that first post, and I can see how it might read as "you need to be ready to do an emergency tracheotomy with a pen", which is definitely not the case. If calling 911 with good information, or directing and ambulance to a victim, or just talking to someone and reassuring them is all you feel comfortable doing - that's still really good. Don't assume someone else has called 911. Our inclination is to point the camera and hit record, so we need to be mindful of when that time is, and be ready to call off the chase if we can help. No one's going to be singing your praises on that sweet wedge you caught if 20 minutes earlier you drove past a bloody guy on the side of the road that needed help.