Armed citizens as first responders

Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 17 March, 2009 | Daniel White

[marktwain]

In the field of medicine, the Golden Hour refers to the period of time immediately following a traumatic injury and the idea that the ultimate outcome of the injury is determined by the treatment the patient receives during that time, which can range from a few minutes to a few hours. It is often the first responders, preferably paramedics, who have the greatest impact on a victim's survival.

The clearest illustration of this principle can be seen when considering the scenario of a heart attack. If a person suffers a heart attack in a hospital, help is moments away. Treatment begins immediately, and a person stands the best chance of survival. However, if a person is hiking in a remote area and help takes three hours to make it to the scene, that person has a greatly reduced chance of a positive outcome.

Think, then, to a situation where a lunatic goes on a shooting spree in a shopping mall. Average police response time to a high priority call within city limits can range from 5-10 minutes. Add additional time to access the building, assess the situation, locate and neutralize the shooter, and you're looking at a minimum of 20 minutes. A shooter can get off several hundred rounds in that time and a lot of deaths can occur before the police can stop the attack. The scenario changes drastically if an armed citizen is already on the scene and can appropriately respond.

Before we get into that, though, let's take a brief look at the history of the individuals most people associate with the term "first responder," and that is paramedics.

The paramedic program is actually a fairly recent development in the United States, though it's roots can be traced back to ancient Rome when elderly Centurions were tasked with removing wounded soldiers from the battlefield and administering initial treatment.

In the mid 1960's, a few physicians began experimenting with programs to provide private citizens with training to enable them to provide initial care to injured victims. At the same time, the medical corpsmen in Vietnam were pioneering close combat support of medical personnel embedded with active combat troops. These corpsmen were able to greatly increase the survival rate of wounded soldiers due to immediate care being provided on the battlefield prior to evacuation to medical facilities.

After the war, these techniques were adapted for civilian use with the intent that it would be fire fighters who would provide the care. Firemen were already highly trained and available for rapid deployment, and it was thought this was a natural field for returning military paramedics to utilize their skills in a civilian environment. However, many members of the upper echelon in these departments were strongly opposed to the program for a variety of reasons ranging from liability concerns to the thought that it wasn't proper to be trying to teach a firefighter to act like a doctor.

Ironically, it was a television show, Emergency!, that helped break down the opposition to the program, highlight its effectiveness, and rally public support. This, coupled with Federal funding being made available, resulted in the rapid acceptance of the paramedic program throughout the seventies. Now, many people take it for granted that if they are severely injured, a paramedic will be on the scene within minutes to begin treatment. It seems barbaric that treatment was once withheld until an injured person made it all the way to the hospital.

So, how does this tie in with armed citizens?

In 2004, "Dimebag" Darrell Lance Abbott, former Pantera guitarist, was killed in a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Three others were killed and three more wounded that night before the gunman was killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby. Reportedly, this officer was able to respond within two minutes, yet was still unable to prevent those initial deaths an injuries.

While Darrell's murder was unlikely to have been prevented regardless of response time, there was one individual in the club that night who might have been able to prevent the other deaths and injuries with an even faster response time. "Roger", a concealed handgun licensee, was in the club that night and was approximately 5 feet from the shooter. Unfortunately, Ohio law prohibits even Concealed Handgun License holders from carrying their firearm into any establishment that serves alcohol (even if they are not drinking), so Roger was disarmed and unable to perform a lifesaving act.

Within days of that attack, another incident occurred in Ohio, this time in Dayton, where a 79 year old man was attacked by a mugger. Before any harm could befall him, a nearby CHL holder drew his firearm and stopped the attack, holding the criminal for police. The "golden hour" becomes the "golden minute" when it comes to self defense situations. Immediate and direct action by the victim or passersby greatly affect the outcome of a criminal attack. If there is no immediate response to an assault, the chance of severe injury or death to the victim(s) greatly increases.

I was unable to find a link to the story, but I recall that shortly before concealed carry passed in Ohio that there was an incident where a young girl was shot by a stalker as she was crossing the street on her way to school. According to onlookers, she remained alive for several minutes while the gunman paced back and forth, uncertain of what to do. As the police drew closer, he shot her again and killed her. Had an armed citizen been present and able to respond, her life would likely have been spared.

For most police, the most frustrating thing about their jobs is that they cannot be everywhere to protect everyone. The sad truth is that they are often relegated to the role of armed historians, taking statements or reports after the crime has taken place. Sometimes they do intervene and stop an active shooter, but often after there has already been multiple fatalities and injuries. There just isn't enough manpower.

With more than 140,000 concealed handgun licenses issued in Ohio, there is at least a chance that there will be a First Responder on the scene who will be in a position to stop the crime and save lives. Like the paramedic program, there was initially a lot of opposition to concealed carry in Ohio. Now that it has become more accepted and the numbers are growing, hopefully we can look forward to a time when CHL holders are seen as an essential piece of the puzzle for ensuring public safety during those crucial initial minutes following a violent criminal attack.

[marktwain]

Excellent article on a point made by many freepers.

[familyop]

A selection process, more training and a chain of supervision of some kind would be needed, though. Without such weeding, training and assumptions of responsibilities, a few oddballs can mess the whole effort up.

[edpc]

Average police response time to a high priority call within city limits can range from 5-10 minutes.

What's the saying.....? When seconds count the police are minutes away.

[Blood of Tyrants]

When seconds count, the police are minutes away!

[arthurus]

Not only is there a greater chance that there is a first responder on the scene, there is a better chance that there will be nothing to respond to. Knowledge that anyone around might be armed and willing is a strong deterrent to planned crimes and some also for impulse crimes. The mass murderer is especially deterred because he normally expects to die and is trying to do it spectacularly. If there is a known good chance that he will die before he can kill more than one or two people, the thing isn’t worth it to him. He can’t expect big headlines and horrified news jockeys to spread his name and his deeds worldwide.

[Just another Joe]

When seconds count the police are only minutes away.

[wastoute]

You are entitled to your opinion, but wrong IMHO. No process will "weed out" one individual and no organization will take the responsibility. You lack of assurance will not stop me from exercising my right and at this point our gummint recognizeds this fact (for the most part).

Μολὼν λάβε

[Dead Corpse]

When seconds count, my personal firearm is never more than 1.1 seconds away.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Great article

we start a campaign with the motto.

The Golden five, or the Golden minute, or the golden second.

The time when police and not available to assist you in defending your life.

[EdReform]

Bang

[bmwcyle]

ping

[NFHale]

“...A selection process, more training and a chain of supervision of some kind would be needed...”

Familyop:
My right to keep myself, my family, and any innocent citizen who happens to be near me alive is not subject to some arbitrary “selection process and chain of supervision”.

I carry because it is my right as an American to do so, and will continue to do so until I no longer am physically able to.

Society will ALWAYS have “a few oddballs”. Nothing will ever change that. Part of the idea of carry is to PREVENT the “oddballs” amongst us from going postal and doing damage in the first place.

Sure, agree that there should be (and are) some preconditions in place - not a violent felon, not mentally unstable, etc., and hopefully that is what you are referring to. But to hand over the power to arbitrarily choose who can and can’t defend themselves to is NOT acceptable.

[bamahead]

Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!

[roaddog727]

An armed society is a polite society

[familyop]

"You are entitled to your opinion, but wrong IMHO. No process will "weed out" one individual and no organization will take the responsibility. You lack of assurance will not stop me from exercising my right and at this point our gummint recognizeds this fact (for the most part)."

Μολὼν λάβε"

Here's the scenario that will materialize too soon and too often. A scanner kook hears a burglary call, puts on his holster and peashooter and speeds to the location of the call. He arrives, jumps out of his vehicle, wide-eyed in view of the home security cameras, with his pistol un-holstered. The family at that address is ready. A fusillade of 72 balls of buckshot knocks the perceived invader down, followed by 16 hardened sabot slugs. The family lawyer receives a call along with the remote server address for copies of the video footage.

Open carry at home.

That would be more than an opinion. As for neighbors you know, though, they can have you volunteer in advance to help them out, if you like. Lots of us already do that.

[familyop]

...defending yourself and yours...fine...neighbors who are expecting you...fine. But see comment #15.

[familyop]

I’m very much in favor of the Second Amendment but have also known of citizens who called police and had weapons pointed at them, when they arrived. There are many other situations out there that would shock most people. Quite a few respected pillars of communities are completely out of their minds, after they leave their offices. I’ve seen “untouchable,” business mogul city councilmen, who went cross-dressing and peering in their willingly participating neighbors’ windows.

[NFHale]

RE Familyop Post 15:
As I said...society will always have its share; its the nature of giant groups of people living in close proximty. Not one of us can control THAT scenario, and for the idiot who assumes to put himself in THAT situation and take on the proper role of the cops, well, he deserves to be a Darwin Award candidate.

And I don’t think that the situation you outlined is the spirit of the original discussion article - if a citizen shows up at the scene of a crime-in-progress with the intent of interfering, I believe that is already a crime - this article is more concerned with an on-the-spot situation in which an armed citizen inadvertantly and unavoidably finds him/herself in the middle of a life-or-death situation, confronted by an active shooter.

But I’ll never hand over my right to some arbitrary power; I play by the state-by-state carry system’s rules right now because for the most part the system isn’t life-threatening; but if the system ever becomes life threatening, well, all bets are off, and I’ll do whatever is necessary for my Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” - period.

We’ll agree to disagree.

Carry quietly, discreetly, and always, and stay alive.

[wastedyears]

Point made clearly and quite well.

[Tarantulas]

Here's the scenario that will materialize too soon and too often. A scanner kook hears a burglary call...

"Scanner kook?" I'm not familiar with that terminology. Is that like calling a Second Amendment supporter a "gun nut?"