First Response

There’s no reason to panic if a medical emergency occurs on the premises

Dan Abbott was teaching the classroom portion of one of his shooting schools when an exhausted student passed out. But instead of panicking and creating confusion, as often happens in such cases, Abbott—co-owner of the Oregon Firearms Academy (OFA)—and his students swung immediately into action.
“Someone called 911 and contacted the first responders,” Abbott recalls. “Another student ran for a blanket. We elevated the victim’s feet, prevented shock and maintained an open airway. After EMTs had taken the man to the hospital, I talked the students through what happened and asked if they wanted to continue. They did, so we did.”
Such swift, effective action was no fluke. Abbott teaches everyone at OFA exactly what to do if an accident occurs. “We call it our Emergency Response Plan,” he says. “It’s a multidimensional approach designed to handle anything from minor injuries to major situations like a fire or a gunshot wound. The plan is not only taught, but rehearsed. There is always an element of shock when accidents occur. But a memorized plan forces everyone into action.”
Abbott said the fundamentals of his ERP began with a visit to the local fire chief. “I told him I wanted to be prepared should we ever have an accident,” he recalls. “He visited the range and familiarized himself with the layout, walked around the parking lot to determine where to send rescue vehicles, and even identified landing zones for a Medi-Vac helicopter.”

Plan for Success

The fire chief also helped Abbott devise an ERP. “The primary goal is to provide basic life support for accident victims until EMTs arrive,” says Abbott. “The plan is simple and gives people specific jobs to do in the heat of the moment.” Here’s how it works, step-by-step.
1:: Designate a leader. On the first day of the class, Abbott asks students if any of them are doctors, nurses or EMTs. If so, that person is designated the leader in the event of an accident. “The leader’s role is to stay with the victim and tend to basic first aid and life support needs,” Abbott says. If there’s another medically trained person, he becomes the assistant.
2:: Name a lifeline. “Then we identify a person who will always have a fully charged cell phone with them,” says Abbott. “In an accident that person proceeds to one of two ERP charts, which are printed in bold letters on bright red paper, in the facility. The ERP charts are a step-by-step guide of exactly what to say during a 911 call. They’re to tell the name of our facility, the physical address and the exact nature of the problem.”
3:: Fly a helicopter. “A third person is named our ‘helicopter’ and goes to retrieve emergency supplies from a storage closet,” Abbott says. “There’s a fire extinguisher, blankets, general first-aid kit and a Basic Life Support Trauma Kit.” (For information on similar trauma kits, visit the website
rescueresponse.com).
4:: Organize the chaos. “The rest of the students are asked to leave the area, but not the facility,” Abbott says. “One person proceeds to the end of our driveway to flag down approaching rescue vehicles.”
Such protocol should be standard for every shooting range, says Abbott. “It gives everyone something to do when the last thing you want is chaos. It also shows authorities that you’re safety conscious.” —Scott Bestul