Chasers driving past injured residents at Wayne tornado

[Shawn Schuman]

James, that's a tough question I think. My first reaction is that I suppose there isn't any obligation to be prepared, nor to stop and assist. However, while I can't speak for anyone else, for me it's unquestionably the right thing to do. I'm aware that, should a disaster happen, there's a chance I'll be one of the first to arrive on-scene. As such, I recognize that there's a chance I may be placed in a position where a person's life depends on whether or not I have the proper medical training and equipment to help them. It's fairly unlikely, sure, but it's a possibility that I think all of us accept - consciously or not - every time we head out. I don't want to find myself in that situation and not have the means to act and to render potentially life-saving care, and if I or one of my family/friends were on the victim end of that equation, I'd certainly hope the first chaser on the scene would be capable of rendering aid.

At the end of the day it's an individual decision that we all have to make. If someone decides they aren't comfortable taking on that role, that's their choice. It's not my place to tell them they're wrong. I do think it's our obligation to stop and call for help if necessary, however. That's something that anyone can and should do.

Edit: Rob just covered my last point, and I think that's the most important thing. Don't assume someone has already gotten help. It takes 30 seconds to stop and see if you can be of assistance in some way, and often there are other ways you can help besides medical assistance.

 

[Jason Russell]

Basic and advanced first aid skills are a GREAT thing for chasers to have- if not for someone else then for yourself. A trauma kit isn't very bulky (unless you get a paramedic's full kit) and knowing how to correctly use something as basic as a tourniquet can save a life when ambulance/fire are minutes away.

Generally making an injured person stay put is the best thing you can do if nothing else. I've been at 2 accidents (not weather related) where seriously injured people with probable spinal injuries have attempted to extricate themselves from wreckage. You don't need any medical expertise to offer comfort to the injured (although like I said before it's not for everyone) and generally once the initial shock wears off most injured people will be quite scared as pain sets in, leading to less-than-rational decisions and further injury.

 

[Brian R]

I have stopped and offered assistance during a chase after the tornado has destroyed the area, however with the average persons sue first and ask questions later type of mentality…. i now have to ask myself is it worth the risk of being sued and taken for everything i have or not. not saying i will never stop to offer assistance in the future, i will ask myself is it worth the risk….

 

[rdale]

I have stopped and offered assistance during a chase after the tornado has destroyed the area, however with the average persons sue first and ask questions later type of mentality…. i now have to ask myself is it worth the risk of being sued and taken for everything i have or not. not saying i will never stop to offer assistance in the future, i will ask myself is it worth the risk….

How many lawsuits have been filed against chasers who stopped to offer help?

 

[Rob H]

I have stopped and offered assistance during a chase after the tornado has destroyed the area, however with the average persons sue first and ask questions later type of mentality…. i now have to ask myself is it worth the risk of being sued and taken for everything i have or not. not saying i will never stop to offer assistance in the future, i will ask myself is it worth the risk….

"Duty to rescue" laws apply in several chasing states, and Good Samaritan laws will (usually) protect you unless you do something stupid. If you don't feel comfortable stopping to help because of the risks, you need to educate yourself on the risks and what you can do to help within your means - that's kind of the point of this whole thread.

edit: This doesn't mean that once you take a first-aid class you should go out and chase damage. If you didn't physically follow directly behind the tornado or if LEOs are on the scene, you're probably 10 minutes late and your value in helping is tremendously low, and might actually cause problems. Those first 5-10 minutes after the tornado goes through is when people need help, even if it's just calling 911 and directing an ambulance to someone injured. Please, please don't be a looky-loo. I've only have had to stop for 4% of my tornadoes. If you're "stopping to help" for any significantly higher ratio, you should assess whether you really need to stop, or if you're just chasing damage.

 

[John Olexa]

I have come up on accidents (non weather) and did nothing more than help direct traffic until the police showed up. I would hope chasers would feel obligated to stop. Just to at least ask if there was anything they could do. If there is sufficient help already, than go on your way, but at least you stopped and offered help.

 

[Greg Higgins]

as an example here in Texas.........IF you are a state certified first responder, EMS, fire or LEO, AND you drive upon an accident and do not stop AND you are recognized as a first responder, etc (usually by the decals on your vehicle), you MAY be sued for failing to stop and render aid.

 

[Rob H]

Update: The individual that prompted this thread has contacted some of us that were involved. He is making a good recovery. With his permission, I am sharing his words in the hopes that it drives home the point:



This right here is why you don't assume someone else has stopped to help. This is proof that something as simple as calling 911 and directing an ambulance to a location can mean the difference between life and death. With five pints of lost blood, an extra minute laying there without medical attention could have resulted in a completely different and tragic outcome.